63 



are to be proscribed has been a stumbling stone at every ornitho- 

 logical congress, and the wide differences of opinion among 

 experts has led to heated debate, and a regrettable postpone- 

 ment of the matter at issue. 



THE COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC VALUE ATTACHED 

 TO PARTICULAR SPECIES IN DIFFERENT 

 COUNTRIES. 



The contradictory pronouncements for and against certain birds, 

 in different countries of Europe, are almost startling. Russia 

 bans all Owls. Switzerland will none of the Missel Thrush. 

 Hungary holds the Brambling useful, which Germany classes 

 \vith the harmful Sparrow. The Convention, Schedule I., en- 

 rols among the useful birds Bee-Eater and Crossbill. Germany 

 holds the Crossbill noxious, as also the Hawfinch, which the 

 Convention and Hungary ignore. Denmark proscribes the Rook. 

 The Convention upholds all the Crows but the Raven. Austria 

 protects the Jackdaw, and bars the Great Tit. The poor, 

 beautiful Kingfisher is in favour with no one. The Convention 

 condemns it, and so does Austria, equally udth the Dipper. 

 But in Austria and Hungary legislation is somewhat microscopic, 

 witness the excepting of the Water- Shrew from the protection 

 decreed for the other Shrew-Mice. In Holland it is forbidden 

 to shoot the Lapwing, no doubt in recognition of its services to 

 agriculture, and of the already heavy tribute laid upon it in the 

 collecting of its eggs. 



A number of groups of the small Passerines, the Chats, Wag- 

 tails, Pipits, Goldcrests, the large family of Warblers, Swallows, 

 Accentors, Flycatchers, are so entirely insectivorous as to 

 preclude any doubt as to their beneficence. Similarly, some 

 of the smaller Finches and Buntings are above suspicion, and are 

 kno^vn as consumers of weed seeds. In every legislation the 

 Eagle, Owl and the diurnal Raptores share with the Crows 

 the brunt of public odium, chiefly, it may be assumed, because of 

 their destructiveness to game ; the Heron tribe and the fish- 

 eating Palmipeds being equally branded for the harm they cause 

 fish. The fish-eaters, however, seem to be more tolerated in 

 Great Britain, perhaps because pisciculture is not a serious in- 

 dustry there, as in inland countries with less seaboard. Winged 

 game and a few species, such as the Eider Duck, apart, it may 

 be said that, in general, European legislations value birds as 

 they profit agriculture 



In Germany there has been much examination of crops and 

 stomachs, and research of this kind is to-day being carried on in 



