Vol. xli.] 36 ' 



J. Lewis Bonitote, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., then addressed 

 the meeting on the subject of Bird Protection, and said : — 



In reading this short paper on " Bird Protection,'' I propose 

 to deal with the subject on very general lines, not discussing 

 the merits or demerits of particular species, but rather to 

 c;dl your attention to the general principles which must he 

 observed, and on which Protection Laws must be framed if 

 they are to be in any way effective. 



There is perhaps hardly any subject which is moie com- 

 plicated, and in which it is easier to make mistakes, than in 

 legislating hastily for the destruction or protection of any 

 wild species, and a mistake once made is usually irretrievable, 

 as, for instance, the introduction of Rabbits into Australia and 

 Sparrows into North America. 



We may, first of all, ask ourselves why birds need ])ro- 

 toction? Why, for instance, in this country w^e have a bird 

 )i|-otection law, but none protecting Hedgehogs, Shrews, and 

 other lower orders of animals ? I think the answer is,firsth% 

 that birds are more numerous and more beautiful, thereby 

 attracting our attention ; secondly, they are a commercial 

 asset, therefore sought after, either for sport, plumage, or 

 collections, and, lastly, they are both useful and harmful to 

 agriculture. We cannot consider " Protection " witJiout 

 also considerin<>; " Destruction." 



The economic reason for protection is that the species ^\e 

 protect may destroy other animals or insects which we ih:) 

 not require, or may so increase that we ourselves may destroy 

 it for its food or feathers. 



Bird Protection in most countries has not, as a whole, 

 been very successful, and the chief reason for the failure oi- 

 futility of many Bird Protection Laws arises from throe 

 main causes : — 



(i.) Sentimentality, 

 (ii.) Apathy, 

 (iii.) Lack of knowledge. 



The first is the most powerful, and also the most dan- 

 gerous, of the causes which confront the scientific protector, 

 and on the rare occasions when sentimentality goes witii 

 science no further law is necessary. There are many 



