FEBRUAKY 45 



theless, even pigeon-shooting has its bright side for 

 the victims. Hundreds of thousands of pigeons are 

 bred annually for the sole purpose of supplying pigeon 

 matches, which would never have existence at all if 

 pigeon-shooting were prohibited. During their brief 

 lives they are well tended and well fed ; they have no 

 knowledge of the fate in store for them ; and it may be 

 left to subtler intellects than mine to decide whether 

 "Tis better to be hatched and shot than never to be 

 hatched at all.' 



With all this vexed question the Society for the 

 Protection of Birds does not concern itself. Some of 

 its members, indeed, who have travelled in countries 

 where all wild birds are scrupulously and spontaneously 

 protected by the natives, may feel more in sympathy 

 with the Mohammedan, who, from superstitious dread 

 of injuring the spirit of one of his ancestors, refrains 

 from taking the life of any wild bird, than they feel 

 with the idle English ' milor ' who ascends the Nile, not 

 content to enjoy the glorious sunshine or to explore 

 the relics of the most ancient civilisation in the world, 

 but intent upon carrying death and wounds among the 

 harmless waterfowl that crowd the river banks. 



At the beginning of the great frost in February 1895 

 I was fishing in Thurso. A brace of beautiful wild 

 swans came up the river and offered to light on the 

 pool beside which I was standing, but on seeing me 

 they flew on. My gillie said he thought they would 

 settle at a place higher up the river, and urged me to 

 get a gun, for I would get a fine chance at them. I 



