Utility and Economy of Birds 



owners of PHEASANTS were expected to kill 

 off their birds as far as possible before the 

 end of the season, so that they might not 

 live to feed on the growing grain of the 

 following harvest (Daily Mail, 12.1.17). ^ n 

 spite of these restrictions it is remarkable 

 that, some months later, not a few persons 

 were prosecuted for feeding hand-reared 

 PHEASANTS on corn (Globe, 4.v.i7). On 

 February I3th, 1917, it was stated officially 

 in Parliament that it had been decided that 

 occupiers of agricultural land should have a 

 concurrent right of killing PHEASANTS on the 

 same lines that they had in respect of ground 

 game, without any limitation as regards a 

 close time for breeding (Daily Mail, 14. ii .17). 

 Thereupon ensued a literary warfare in the 

 newspapers as to whether the PHEASANT was 

 more useful to the farmer as an insect killer 

 than harmful as a grain eater. On February 

 23rd and March I3th and 3Oth were issued 

 orders, known as "The Destruction of PHEA- 

 SANTS Orders," under the Defence of the Realm 

 Regulations, that the Board of Agriculture 

 might (with a view to preventing or reducing 



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