BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 69 



pose well or not, struck me as being very unworthy 

 of the times we lived in, and seemed to show that the 

 British fruit-growers, who were ahead of the world 

 in all other matters connected with their vocation, 

 had quite neglected this one point* A thousand years 

 ago cultivators of the soil were scaring the birds from 

 their crops just as we are doing, with methods no 

 better and no worse, putting up scarecrows and old 

 ragged garments and fluttering rags, hanging a 

 dead crow to a stick to warn the others off, shouting 

 and yelling and throwing stones. There appeared 

 to be an opening here for experiment and invention. 

 Mere noise was not terrifying to birds, and they soon 

 discovered that an old hat on a stick had no injurious 

 brains in or under it. But certain sounds and colours 

 and odours had a strong effect on some animals. 

 Sounds made to simulate the screams of some 

 hawks would perhaps prove very terrifying to 

 thrushes and other small birds, and the effect of 

 scarlet in large masses or long strips might be tried. 

 It would also be worth while to try the effect of 

 artificial sparrow-hawks and other birds of prey, 

 perched conspicuously, moving and perking their 

 tails at intervals by clockwork. In fact, a hundred 

 things might be tried until something valuable was 

 found, and when it lost its value for the birds would 

 in time discover the deception some new plan 

 adopted. 



