Birds on the Western Front 



More than one article on bird-nesting at 

 the front proved at least the undaunted 

 keenness of our fighting egg-collectors (vide 

 Country Life, 6.v.i6; Ibis, vol. vi. 1918, 

 etc.). It is, however, truly touching that in 

 the midst of their life-and-death struggle 

 our soldiers should have so often found re- 

 laxation and comfort in studying and think- 

 ing of Nature. I have repeatedly heard that, 

 when in billets, our men were only too glad 

 to forget the horrors of war in comparing 

 notes on birds. The extreme anxiety which 

 was shown by our soldiers over these morsels 

 of life was surprising, seeing that they had 

 set the value of their own at nothing, as 

 things were (Daily News and Leader, 22 .iv.i6). 

 That the War was not all brutal was proved 

 by many acts of Christian charity as well as 

 by numerous kindly actions towards birds. 

 On one occasion an officer of a London regi- 

 ment stood for half an hour beside a PLOVER'S 

 nest to prevent the eggs being damaged by 

 the troops who were passing the spot (Daily 

 Sketch, I7.vi.i6). A soldier, conducting a 

 war correspondent round our lines, told him : 



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