PROTECTION OF WILD BIRDS. 



(Reprinted from " The Field," April, 1877.) 



SIB, What are we doing, naturalists and all? are we not strain- 

 ing matters too far? Some naturalists, who are authors, seem 

 to forget that they must have derived much of their knowledge 

 and pleasure by examining birds recently killed, either by them- 

 selves or others, in the various states of plumage several of the 

 species get in the different seasons. I would ask, are they 

 entirely satisfied with the knowledge they have acquired and 

 committed to writing; and do they wish to deprive the rising 

 generation from having similar opportunities to those they them- 

 selves had, and to leave them to limit their observations to what 

 has been written only ? I would fain hope not. 



Another question I would ask is, what good we do in protect- 

 ing birds which are not, so far as we can judge, useful in any 

 way to man, except to study their habits ? A number of the 

 species we are apparently solicitous about, unless shot, nine 

 hundred and ninety-nine out of every thousand of us would never 

 even see, and those who do see them would only do so after ex- 

 pressly going to look for them at limited places, as well as seasons. 



We are hearing remarks about birds having been seen. Now, 

 I have little faith in such generally, more especially when par- 

 ticular states of plumage are described, unless they are very con- 

 spicuous. 



When we come to some of the Sandpipers, the difference be- 

 tween the old Dunlin in summer and the just fully-feathered 

 young birds, or the young Little Stint and the summer plumage, 

 how few know the difference when they have the dead bird in 

 their hands ; and, as to Buzzards, have naturalists come to any 

 definite understanding whether the pale and dark birds are va- 

 rieties, or the difference is caused by age ? 



I would ask, why protect those species which pass us in their 

 periodical migratory flights at all ? None of the following waders 



