140 DELIBERATE DESTRUCTION OF ANIMAL LIFE 



has long since disappeared in Scotland. Yet in the old days 

 the birds of the field and moor made a generous contribution 

 to the Scot's table. I need hardly do more in support of 

 this statement than quote, omitting the "tame meat," the 

 provisions wherein an Act passed in 1551 by the Scots Par- 

 liament, "statute and ordained " that 



the wilde meat and tame meat under written be sauld [sold] in all times 

 cumming of the prices following, that is to say the crane [probably the 

 heron] five shillings; the swan five shillings; the wild guse of the great 

 bind [size] twa shillings ; the claik, quink and rute, the price of the peece 

 foure pennies. Item, the plover and small mure fowle, price of the peece 

 auchteene pennies ; the black cock and grey hen, price of the peece six 

 pennies; the douzaine of powtes twelve pennies. Item, the quhaip [curlew] 

 sax pennies. ...Item, the woode cocke foure pennies. Item, the dousane of 

 laverocks [larks] and uthers small birdes, the price of the dousane foure 

 pennies. Item, the snipe and quailyie [quails] price of the peece twa 

 pennies. . . . 



Bishop Leslie in 1578 also refers to the abundance and 

 utility of Larks : "of Pertrikis in sum cuntreyes [i.e. districts] 

 ar gret abundance, bot of Laferokis [larks] ouer all far 

 gretter, in sa far as that xii. for a frenche sous they cum- 

 mounlie sell." The "Northumberland Household Book" of 

 1512 shows that the Percys did not disdain such small fare 

 as "Seegulles," "Styntes," "Snypes," " Redeshankes," " Kyr- 

 lewes," "Seepyes" [Oyster catchers], "Knottes," "Dottrells," 

 "Smale Byrdes" and "Larkys," provided always "thay ar 

 in Season." 



At a much later date the lesser birds made contribu- 

 tion to feasts, even of Royalty, for at a banquet given by 

 the City of London to George III in 1761, the Second 

 Service included dishes of Ortolans or Buntings, Quails, 

 " Notts," " Wheat Ears," Woodcocks, Teal and Snipes. 

 Moreover it was no insignificant destruction of wild birds 

 that satisfied the table of former days. Glance at the pro- 

 vision made for the great feast at the "intronization" of 

 George Nevelle, Archbishop of York, in 1466, which in- 

 cluded 



Swannes, cccc. ; Geese, MM ; Plovers, iiii. C. ; Quayles, C. dosen ; of 

 the fowles called Rees [Reeves], CC dosen ; In Peacockes, C. iiii. ; Mal- 

 lardes and Teales, iiii. M. ; In Cranes, C. iiii. ;... Pigeons, iiii. M. ;...In 

 Bittors, C. iiii. ; Heronshawes, iiii. C. ; Fessauntes. CC. ; Partriges, v. C. ; 

 Woodcockes, iiii. C. ; Curlews, C. ; Egrittes, M. 



Apart from making use of resident native birds our 



