39 [Vol. xli. 



vanishing species from the collector. A few years ago this 

 species was reduced to nine birds: 4^ pairs, of which one 

 pair was barren. Firstly, the species was given absolute 

 protection throughout the year, and the farmers and tenants 

 in the district Mere interested personally in their protection. 

 In spring the nests were located, the tree surrounded with 

 barbed wire, and two keepers and a watch-dog obtained, to 

 watch the nest night and day. In this manner, and at a 

 cost of £50 to £60 per nest, defrayed by private subscrip- 

 tion, this species was able to increase, and has now spread 

 into several other counties. 



This is an extreme instance of purely sesthetic and 

 sentimental protection. 



(2) The essence of protecting for Sport is the principle of 

 giving absolute protection to a species during the breeding 

 season^ and also of artificially increasing the output by 

 hatching and rearing young birds under foster-mothers — the 

 output being increased by removing the eggs from under 

 the birds as soon as they are laid, and extra care in the 

 rearing enables a greater number of the progeny to reach 

 maturity than would bCthe case under their own parents. 



(3) A species economically useful for food, eggs, or feathers. 

 Attempts to protect birds for these purposes usually resolve 

 themselves into a fight between the Commercials on the 

 one hand — who are^ I am afraid, less alive to the danger 

 of killing the Goose that lays the golden eggs than they 

 should be — and the Sentimentalists who wish to ride rough- 

 shod over the Commercials^ livelihood and the people's food 

 or pleasure by entirely prohibiting the trade, whatever it may 

 be. In my opinion the sentimentalists are entirely on the 

 wrong track, forj as in the case of the Game Birds, Nature, 

 if properly handled, will provide abundance for man as well 

 as for herself. Sentimentalists seem to forget that had their 

 point of view been followed from the beginning of the world, 

 we should have no wheat nor barley, no sheep, horses, or 

 cattle, for all these species only yield their abundance to 

 man through having been utilised and farmed, and not 

 by man being forbidden to use them. 



