260 THE IMPOETANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



Government to curtail their liberty would be con- 

 sidered a controversion of the rights of all free 

 citizens. As a result there is scarcely a native 

 bird left on the entire peninsula of Italy. 



Very different, however, is the attitude of that 

 sport-loving nation, England. The principle 

 upon which she acts is that the killing of birds is 

 subservient to laws formulated by the state; in 

 other words, that birds primarily belong to the 

 state and only secondarily to the private individ- 

 uals upon whose land they may be found. 



The first English law for the protection of game 

 of any kind was enacted during the time of 

 William the Conqueror, forbidding the killing of 

 deer by any persons except those who were of 

 royal blood or who had special permission from the 

 king. Later, in the reign of Eichard II, deer or 

 game-birds might be taken by socially fitted per- 

 sons qualified by social position or by landed 

 estates that brought them an income of more 

 than 100 per annum. All game, however, was 

 considered the property of the crown. 



Although most of the early game-laws were 

 manifestly unfair to every one but the ruling 

 power, they at least prevented a swift extermina- 

 tion of birds and four-footed beasts. They em- 

 bodied also the principle of state ownership of 

 game, the foundation upon which modern British 

 laws are based. Wild birds and animals now be- 

 long to the land, and the Government reserves 



