THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS 153 



by reason of such protection, because he would 

 allow birds to be shot after the close time was over 

 in certain cases. As he said in his evidence before 

 the Committee of the House of Commons on this 

 question, " What I would like^to see would be this : 

 a close time for every British bird during the breed- 

 ing season ; such close time to last from the ist of 

 March to the ist of August. If thought necessary, the 

 Bullfinch to be allowed to be shot by persons hold- 

 ing a gun license, in gardens only, up to the ist of 

 April ; some birds, to be specified, never to be allowed 

 to be shot at all for the next twenty years, or longer, 

 if then found to be required, such as the Bee-Eater, 

 the Roller, the Hoopoe, &c. All birds useful for 

 food, or increasing in undue numbers, to be allowed 

 to be shot by persons having a gun license during 

 the remainder of the year. All other kinds of birds 

 useless for food, of which a large number might be 

 specified, such as the Golden-Crested Wren, Cole- 

 Titmouse, Marsh -Titmouse, Wren, Willow- Wren 

 (the several species of), Redstart (both species of), 

 Whinchat, Stonechat, Swift, and many others, only 

 allowed to be shot for scientific purposes, and with 

 a license obtainable for a limited period, by persons 

 of fixed residence, &c. No nests, eggs, or young 

 birds to be allowed to be taken in the breeding 

 season, except in the same way, for scientific pur- 

 poses, and under the like restrictions." 



In all the controversies on the subject, there was 

 no bird that he defended with greater persistence 

 and vehemence than the Sparrow. It was mainly 



