EXOTIC BIRDS FOR BRITAIN 189 



years, encourages one to believe that with better- 

 chosen species, more highly organized, and with 

 more pliant habits, such as the hazel hen of 

 Europe for a game bird, success would be almost 

 certain. 



Another circumstance connected with the at- 

 tempted introduction of this unsuitable bird, even 

 of more promise than the mere fact of the partial 

 success achieved, is the greatest interest the ex- 

 periment has excited, not only among naturalists 

 throughout the country, but also among landlords 

 and sportsmen down in Essex, where the bird was 

 not regarded merely as fair game to be bagged, or 

 as a curiosity to be shot for the collector's cabinet, 

 but was allowed to fight its own fight without 

 counting man among its enemies. And it is to be 

 expected that the same self-restraint and spirit of 

 fairness and intelligent desire to see a favourable 

 result would be shown everywhere if exotic species 

 were to be largely introduced, and breeding cen- 

 tres established in suitable places throughout the 

 country. When it once became known that in- 

 dividuals were doing this thing, giving their time 

 and best efforts and at considerable expense not 

 for their own selfish gratification, but for the 



