122 THE STUDY OF ANIMAL LIFE 



from the points of view of destroyers of weed and 

 insect pests, ridders of carrion, and natural balance- 

 keepers; but perhaps the less said the better con- 

 cerning their mutilated carcases, as seen in articles 

 of feminine adornment! I always prefer to see a 

 woman's hat trimmed with lace, ribbon, or flowers, 

 and whilst the latter can at best be only a poor 

 representation of the plant, the distorted form of 

 a bird, once a living and, let us hope, happy 

 creature, is one of the most grotesque caricatures 

 imaginable. I often think that if women were 

 bird-students, they would soon despise the use of 

 either birds or their feathers as so-called ornaments 

 or trimmings, for even a rudimentary knowledge 

 of the form of the animate bird is sufficient to 

 disgust those who realise the poor apology for the 

 living creature so often seen hideously displayed 

 in a woman's hat. 



It must not be supposed, however, that all 

 kinds of birds are of service to mankind. Many, 

 it is true, such as the Warblers, which live almost 

 exclusively upon insects, are practically indispen- 

 able for the comfort of human existence. Some 

 feed both upon insects and weed seeds; others 

 may be of some benefit to mankind, but their 

 good deeds are not nearly so prominent, nor so 

 well known, as those of their fellows. There are 

 others which, in man's often limited vision, do 

 neither good nor harm, and yet others again which 



