Birds as Food 



Kingdom next year, it would be thought 

 advisable to levy a tax of 55. per head on 

 all hand-reared PHEASANTS, or, alternatively, 

 100 upon every person preserving BIRDS or 

 buying eggs for this purpose (Pall Mall 

 Gazette, i6.xi.is). 



Maintaining the chronological arrangement 

 of my notes, I have next to note that in 

 March 1916 it was stated that many dozens 

 of BLACKBIRDS, THRUSHES, MISSEL-THRUSHES, 

 LARKS, and REDWINGS, alleged to have come 

 from Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and other parts 

 of England, were being exposed for sale as 

 food in one of the West-end shops of London 

 (Times, 3i.iii.i6). The trivial proposition 

 that small birds, the guardians of our crops, 

 should themselves be utilised as "food for the 

 people " could only have been made by the 

 blundering of ignorance. The following ironic 

 reproach is so neat that it merits repetition : 



I saw with open eyes 

 Singing-birds sweet 

 Sold in the shops 

 For the people to eat : 

 Sold in the shops of 

 Stupidity Street. 



45 



