37 [Vol. xli. 



instances of this to be found in various parts of the world, 

 and it is probable that the easiest, as well as the most 

 effective, laws are the superstitions which exist among many 

 races — such, for instance, as one in Egypt that demands the 

 killing of certain Lizards ; while in this country the halo of 

 sentimentality which surrounds the Robin forms an abso- 

 lutely effective protection for that species. 



The other two causes — apathy, lack of knowledge — may 

 1)H taken together and arise from the general slackness of 

 the man in the street, who knows and cares nothing about 

 birds, and the ignorance of our legislators, who, when they 

 are stirred up, frame laws which, if they get through 

 Parliament, pass uncriticised owing to the indifference and 

 apathy of other members. Only a few years back certain 

 of th.e enactments of the Ministry of Agriculture — who 

 iit least should have known better — were obviously likely to 

 be productive of much more harm than good, e.g., the 

 greater liberty allowed to farmers and others to shoot 

 pheasants, one of the best weed and insect killers we have, 

 and more useful than ever when taking into consideration 

 the shortage of labour, owing to the war ; while millions 

 of Ducks that were specially numerous in England in the 

 winter 1916-17 were allowed to leave our shores untouched 

 ami, too late, the open season was prolonged, causing our 

 own breeding birds to be sacrificed, while valuable food 

 winged its way to other countries. 



In addition to these, school-boys were to be encouraged to 

 destroy the nests, eggs, and young of Sparrows, a process 

 which is most ill-advised and invariably leads to a great 

 destruction of the more useful insectivorous birds. 



I only mention these instances to show you how easy it is 

 to make mistakes, and how careful one ought to be before 

 rushing into legislation. 



Three main causes lead to the necessity of having special 

 legislative Protection for Birds : — 

 (1) Collecting. 



, (2) Sport. 



(3) Economically, when required for feather, eggs, or 



food. 



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