CHAPTER IX 



PROTECTION OF BIRDS 



NEWTON had only been Professor at Cambridge for two 

 years when he made his first appearance on a more public 

 platform. As Vice-President of the Section of Zoology 

 and Botany, at the British Association meeting held at 

 Norwichin 1868, he read a paper entitled, "The Zoological 

 Aspect of Game Laws," in which he clearly showed that 

 the wholesale slaughter of many of our birds during the 

 breeding season would shortly result in their extinction, 

 unless laws were passed to give them protection. He 

 began by condemning the exaggerated and over-coloured 

 statements of those well-intentioned persons who write 

 to the newspapers on the subject of " bird murder," and 

 argued that " with some rare exceptions our wild animals 

 have no great reason to be grateful to their ordinary 

 defenders in the newspapers." Though some mischief 

 was undoubtedly done by enthusiastic letter-writers, he 

 admitted that attention had been drawn to the question, 

 and that there was a growing desire on the part of the 

 public to see effectual protection extended to many of 

 our wild animals. 



By far the most complete protection is that afforded 

 by public opinion. Of this we have the strongest possible 

 instance in the case of the Fox, in most parts of these 

 islands. Not much more than a century ago the British 

 farmer was only induced to permit the galloping of horse 

 and hounds across his seeds, or winter corn, by the 

 thought that they were doing him a great service by 

 ridding him of a pestilent marauder, and he would hear 



