en. XXXI. DESTRUCTION OF VERMIN. 177 



allow hawks and crows, foxes and weasels, to flourish 

 and increase, however picturesque and beautiful they 

 may be, than we could afford to allow poppies or 

 other useless but ornamental wild flowers to over- 

 run our corn-fields. 



A pair of peregrine falcons take possession of a 

 rock — they will issue out as regularly as the morn- 

 ing appears to search for grouse, partridges, or 

 other birds, which form the food of man. It is the 

 same with other hawks ; and we well know that 

 crows destroy more game than all the shooters in 

 the kingdom. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary 

 to keep down the numbers of these marauders as 

 much as possible. 



I cannot say that I am at all anxious to see our 

 island entirely clear of what all game-preservers 

 call " vermin." There is more beauty and more to 

 interest one in the flight and habits of a pair of fal- 

 cons than in a whole pack of grouse ; and I regret 

 constantly to see how rare these birds, and eagles, 

 and many others, are daily becoming, under the in- 

 fluence of traps, poison, and guns. The edict which 

 has gone forth against them is far too comprehen- 

 sive and sweeping, and many perfectly innocent 

 birds go to swell the gamekeeper's list of " vermin." 

 But I have gone fully into this subject before. 



One advantage certainly results from birds of 



i3 



