THE BALANCE OF NATURE. 15 



fox-hounds to liimt them, and gave sport that 

 is still remembered with pleasure, has entirely 

 disappeared. During a residence there of 

 some years we but once even heard one. 

 The first thing that the farmer does in every 

 part of the world, if he wishes his sheep to 

 increase, is to kill the animals that would kill 

 them in the breeding season ; and the first 

 thing that gentlemen have been in the habit 

 of doing; who wished to see beautiful and 

 useful birds increase has been to take care 

 that no bird or beast should molest them 

 during their breeding season. The twenty- 

 nine gentlemen who came to give evidence 

 before this Committee all agree that our birds 

 ought to have a close time when they should 

 be protected by law, but several of these 

 witnesses, the Eev. Mr. F. 0. Morris, the 

 Eev. Mr. Tristram, Mr. E. Gray, all well- 

 known naturalists, and others, followers of a 

 school of which the late Mr. Waterton may be 

 said to have been the founder, are most 



