304 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND 



in Article 12 of the Game Laws, as mentioned in that same 

 Article 12. There exists another Ordinance protecting in- 

 sectivorous birds useful to the garden, farm, and forest, and 

 also singing birds, and prohibiting the taking of their eggs 

 or young. In fact, small birds generally may be said to be 

 protected, the Germans not only being generally by nature 

 fond of and kind to them, but protecting them for the good 

 they do in destroying the insects ; starlings especially are 

 protected, in many parts little boxes being put in trees in 

 the cottage gardens for them to build in. For catching or 

 shooting small birds a written permission from the " Oberamt" 

 is necessary. Sparrows, if they become too numerous, are 

 destroyed by a person specially authorized by the village to 

 do so ; so that the usual excuse of young men found creeping 

 about lanes with a gun, " that they are only killing spar- 

 rows," cannot be given here. At the same time it may be 

 remarked that small birds do not appear to be so numerous 

 here as in most parts of England, probably from there not 

 being any hedges, and also from the harder and longer frosts 

 in winter killing off the weaker ones. 



An actual law of trespass may be said not to exist in 

 Wurtemberg ; but when meadows are laid up for hay, and 

 crops are standing in the fields, any one walking or riding 

 across would be fined for the damage done. In the woods be- 

 longing to Government, people are also forbidden to quit the 

 public paths, and persons gathering wild . berries, etc., are 

 obliged to be furnished with a permit. The parish woods 

 could, I suppose, be closed in the same manner, but prac- 

 tically they are not. 



Art. 10. The shooting licences are issued by the prefec- 

 ture (" Oberamt "), and as a rule for natives of the country 

 by the prefecture of the district in which the person desiring 

 such licence resides, and for foreigners, from the prefecture 

 of the district in which they intend to shoot. An appeal 

 against the refusal to issue the same, can only be made to 

 the court of the province (" Kreisbehorde ") to which the 

 " Oberamt " belongs. 



