Sufferings of Birds 



and even those in the famous Tiergarten in 

 Berlin and the magnificent menagerie at 

 Schonbrunn were sacrificed. It must, how- 

 ever, be noted that in May 1918 the Berlin 

 Zoological Gardens Association was sued for 

 10,000 marks damages by a landlord whose 

 block of flats adjoined the Zoo. He claimed 

 that the menagerie including both the caged 

 animals and the Berliners who made too 

 much noise while eating on the fashionable 

 Zoo dining-terrace so disturbed the peace 

 of the neighbourhood that tenants for his 

 flats could only be secured with difficulty 

 (Daily Mail, I7.v.i8). 



In the battle-areas pet birds ran no less 

 risks than their owners. Among the tragedies 

 of the War must be included the destruction 

 of the incomparable collection of live birds 

 at Villers-Bretonnaux, belonging to Lieu- 

 tenant J. Delacour, which occurred during 

 the German push towards Amiens in the 

 earlier part of 1918. The collection com- 

 prised some 360 birds, representing 141 

 species, all of which were destroyed (Avicul- 

 tural Magazine, vol. ix. pp. 269, 305). 



68 



