iS8 



NATURE 



[May 3, 191 7 



coveted posts are divided between the Supreme 

 Goverriipent and nine great provinces, each larger 

 than most European States. This would give an 

 average of 1000 posts to each, and an allowance 

 of 500 or 600 Europeans to Delhi and each of the 

 nine subordinate Governments does not seem ex- 

 cessive, esp>ecially when we recall the fact that 

 there -is a large European population in the great 

 cities and in the planting and mining districts. 

 It is well to give every scope, in reason, to the 

 ambitions of the i| millions. But the security 

 and tranquillity of the country at large have to be 

 considered. 



The figures given by the Commissioners as to 

 the rapidly extending- amenities of life in India, 

 of prosperity and education, are very striking. In 

 twenty-four years the railway mileage had in- 

 creased from 15,245 to 33,599 miles; the passen- 

 gers carried from 1 1 1 to 437 millions ; the freight 

 tonnage from 22^ millions to 87 millions. A 

 deficit in earnings had been converted into a com- 

 fortable net profit of 4,750,000^ In twenty years 

 the number of post offices had grown from 8349 

 to 18,789. In twenty-six years Indian exports 

 jumped from 6o,ooo,oooL to i66,ooo,oooL,»and 

 imports (a better guide to the spending powers of 

 the people) from 43,500,000!. to 127,000,000^ So, 

 in twenty-five years, the pupils in schools rose 

 from 3^ millions to 7 millions, and girl students 

 from 278,000 to 1,000,000. Other branches of 

 national life show the same marked and sustained 

 progress. 



The point for consideration is simply that the 

 spread of prosperity and education tends to mul- 

 tiply the candidates for Government employment 

 so enormously that the resulting feeling of griev- 

 ance would not be wholly removed even if no im- 

 ported agency were employed. The Commis- 

 sioners have, however, suggested the recruiting 

 of 25 per cent, of the Civil Service in India itself. 

 With regard to the many services (smaller, of 

 course, In their numbers) in which there is no 

 questiqn of maintaining British authority, and 

 from Which Indians are at present excluded only 

 by want of scientific or technical training, the 

 Comsnlssioners have rightly said that the training 

 should be supplied In India. But the means 

 thereto, now that India Is fairly prosperous and 

 on the way to be more so, is to Imoort well-paid 

 European teachers under satisfactory conditions 

 of service and pension. Men of the best type will 

 be needed at home, and if they are to give their 

 services to India, they should receive a sufficient 

 wagdv It will be money well spent in the long 

 run, and, in fact, Is the only feasible means of 

 creating a large body of scientific technicians and 

 experts in India. 



THE NATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF FARM 

 VERMIN. 



SLOWLY but surely the public .mind is 

 awakening to the fact that the knowledge 

 that*' has been obtained through long years of 

 study and observation upyon the life-history and 

 habits of animals of all kinds that are Injurious 



NO. 2479, VOL. 99] 



to crops is of real Importance, and is likely dur- 

 ing the next few months to be brought home very 

 vividly even to the most ' casual. Scientific 

 workers have for long pointed out that ail facts 

 hitherto unknown elicited from Nature were of 

 value. Prof. Tyndall nearly fifty years ago told 

 us to keep our sympathetic eye. upon the 

 originator of knowledge, but until quite recently 

 such advice has been ignored, if not openly 

 flouted. 



For many years past it has been pointed out 

 that the so-called balance of Nature was being 

 disturbed by the thoughtless and ignorant action 

 of certain individuals who openly destroyed owls 

 and kestrels, sparrow-hawks, and other raptorial 

 birds ; In like manner the unrestricted increase 

 of such birds as the wood-pigeon, house-sparrow, 

 rook, starling, and blackbird was not only entail- 

 ing a cruel hardship upon the farmer and fruit- 

 grower, but these very same depredators were 

 reducing the number of our beneficial or insect- 

 eating birds to an alarming extent. 



At last we have begun to realise that a 

 laissez-faire policy is a mistake, and although 

 somewhat late In the day, the different county, 

 rural, and urban councils are endeavouring to 

 take concerted action to destroy injurious birds 

 and mammals. Excellent as such a move- 

 ment is, if It has to have a permanent and bene- 

 ficial effect a mandate from the Board of Agri- 

 culture or some other Government Department Is 

 needed that will not only permit of the destruc- 

 tion, but, what Is equally Important, compel the 

 preservation, and to this end much more severe 

 penalties are desirable for those destroying owls, 

 kestrels, lapwings, and the truly insectivorous 

 species of wild birds. 



In view of the present shortage of food, which 

 Is likely to continue, in probably a lesser degree, 

 for at least a year or two, It Is highly important 

 that we should realise the financial loss occa- 

 sioned by the different species of wild birds and 

 mammals. A recent writer estimates that the 

 loss due to the house-sparrow reaches the in- 

 credible figure of 8,ooQ,oooL per annum. We 

 shall be well within the mark If we allow double 

 that sum for the depredations of wood-pigeons, 

 rooks, starlings, blackbirds, and other Injurious 

 species. It has been computed that the brown 

 rat entails an annual loss to the United Kingdom 

 of upwards of 15,000,000!. The losses due to 

 voles and mice are difficult to arrive at, except in 

 particular years, but It must be considerable. 

 Indeed, It cannot be regarded as an outside 

 estimate If we place the total losses due to the 

 above pests at something like 40,000,000!. 

 annually. 



Now It Is patent to any thinking man or woman 

 that we are not doing all that we might, or even 

 anywhere near what we might do, to lessen the 

 enormous national loss. So long as wanton 

 destruction of known beneficial animals is per- 

 mitted, the unrestricted increase of known and 

 proved Injurious species ignored, and an apathy 

 and indifference accorded by the powers that be 

 to those who are endeavouring to awaken the 



