DECLINING YEARS (1873-1893) 283 



nation would have been a protracted one, but, at 

 the Chairman's suggestion, he preferred to hand in 

 a written statement embodying his views on the 

 details of the question. His oral evidence, while it 

 lasted, was given very strongly in favour of the rook, 

 which bird he always stoutly defended against in- 

 discriminate slaughter, maintaining that it did more 

 good than harm to the farmer. "Do you think," 

 asked one of the members of the Committee, " that 

 the farmers and occupiers of land are the best 

 judges whether or not the rooks are doing harm, 

 and that they should be allowed to destroy them 

 if they pleased ? " " No ; I fear they are often very 

 bad judges indeed." "Then what would you do in 

 that case ? Have you been a farmer ? " " No, I 

 never was a farmer." " If you yourself had a field 

 of corn and you saw a number of rooks settling 

 down in your corn-field, what course would you 

 follow in order to prevent the destruction of your 

 crops ? " "I would frighten them off by firing a 

 gun or I would shoot them." "Then you do not 

 desire to prevent the farmers or others shooting 

 them in such cases as that ? " " Certainly not, nor 

 any bird that does harm at other times of the year." 

 " The same remarks would apply, I suppose, to any 

 other bird that will destroy produce or crops in 

 gardens ? " " Yes, certainly." The replies that he 

 made on this occasion were in accordance with all 

 he had said and written upon the subject years 

 before that time as well as afterwards ; *in fact, he 

 seldom saw reason to modify the opinions he had 



