308 CHAPTER XLIII. 



to suffering, a contempt for Nature, and an incapacity 

 for any higher recreation. The natives have a great 

 appetite for all kinds of small birds. There is hardly 

 a peasant who does not trap them, even when the law 

 forbids. They are said to eat even swallows. No 

 wonder that the birds which warble in the olive- 

 groves have no life in their song. They twitter in 

 a half-hearted manner as if they expected every 

 moment to be their last. 



A naturalist (Mr. E. Lock wood) saw the follow- 

 ing " small game " exposed for sale in the market 

 of Nice : blackbirds and thrushes, hawfinches, gold- 

 finches, mountain finches, with here and there a 

 woodpecker, Sardinian warbler, and jay. These (he 

 says) constitute the ortolans of visitors, just as short- 

 toed larks and wagtails pass for ortolans in India. 

 Strings of robins and chaffinches were also hanging 

 up, and a kite, perhaps the last of his race, which 

 some fortunate chasseur had brought down. Even 

 the insignificant size of the goldcrest does not save 

 it from destruction. 



M. Verany thus protests against the shooting 

 of insectivorous birds : " Elle est absurde, et meme 

 tres nuisible, la chasse que sans pitie on fait, surtout 

 dans la campagne de Nice, aux oiseaux a bee fin, 

 qui sont les insectivores par excellence." 



Lesser Bittern. One of these was found in our 

 yard. The servant imagined that we had purchased 

 it, and, as we keep a great many strange creatures, 

 she was not very much surprised to see another 

 novelty. " What does the new bird eat ? " she asked. 

 The Bittern was soon captured. He was injured 

 either by a shot or by a stone. My wife attempted 



