86 The Food of Some British Wild Birds. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



LEGISLATION. 



" The farmer has only recently learned to appreciate the full 

 value of birds as insect destroyers. More exact knowledge of their 

 food habits has resulted in a higher estimate of their utility on the 

 farm, and demonstrated more clearly than ever the necessity of 

 active measures to insure their protection." 



T. S. PALMER (97). 



Apart from those birds protected by the Game Laws, no wild 

 birds in the United Kingdom were protected by law until the year 

 1880, and there is ample evidence that many species distinctly 

 beneficial, e.g., kestrel, barn owl, etc., were considerably reduced 

 in numbers, whilst others, once common, were becoming scarce or 

 had already disappeared from our fauna, e.g., bustard, bittern, 

 reeve, etc. 



Prior to the year 1880, and to a lesser extent since, game- 

 keepers ruthlessly destroyed all species which they thought to be 

 injurious to game, and others about which they were generally 

 ignorant. These depredations have been further assisted by a class 

 of people known as collectors pseudo-scientific students of bird- 

 life who revel in large collections and rarities of both eggs and 

 birds, and in no way related to the scientific ornithologist. Finally, 

 many farmers, fruit-growers, and others interested in raising 

 crops, destroyed most species without discrimination. 



The Act of 1880 is a curious one and clearly evidences how 

 little its framers know or thought of tihe interests of farmers, 

 fruit-growers, etc. It enacts that between March 1st and August 

 1st any person taking or killing any wild bird shall, for the first 

 offence be reprimanded and pay the costs of the prosecution, for 

 subsequent offences a fine not exceeding 5s. and costs would be 

 imposed. Owners or occupiers of land, and those authorised by 

 them were exempted from this clause. 



It further provides that a fine not exceeding 1 should be 

 imposed on any person taking or killing any wild bird in the 

 Schedule of the Act between March 1st and August 1st. 



