72 Wild Bird Guests 



still done at certain times and places, by the 

 small boy who has not been taught a proper re- 

 gard for bird life. With air gun, sling shot, trap, 

 and snare, he can quickly become a terror to the 

 birds within walking distance of his home, and 

 if he adds to these methods of destruction the 

 offense of taking birds' eggs, he can increase the 

 destruction many fold. Usually, I think, it is 

 not the boy's fault. To a quite natural curiosity 

 to see at close range or to possess, certain beauti- 

 ful things which have attracted his attention, is 

 added the joy of proving his quickness in dis- 

 covery, his cleverness in outwitting, or his skill 

 in capturing or killing the object of his desire. 

 His curiosity has not been led into safer channels ; 

 he has not been shown more useful ways in 

 which to prove his cleverness and skill. 



The scientific collector of birds is one against 

 whom popular indignation is often directed (or 

 perhaps I should say misdirected), because he 

 is occasionally seen shooting birds which other 

 people are not allowed to shoot. I do not collect 

 birds myself, and I do not believe in permitting 

 people to collect birds simply because they would 

 like to have collections. But there are in every 

 state certain scientific men who are giving a 

 great deal of time to the study of birds with a 

 view to adding to our knowledge of ornithology 



