Bird Protection in Italy as It Impresses the Italian 



By FRANCIS H. HERRICK, 

 Author of 'The Home Life of Wild Birds' 



I WISH it could be said that Italy was at last beginning to awake to the 

 necessity of protecting its bird-life, but thus far the efforts of a few 

 ornithologists and humanitarians seem to have been of little avail. 



Individual protests of the strongest kind have been made; international 

 congresses have been held and stringent laws proposed, but little has been 

 accomplished. The annual hecatombs of song-birds are still offered up, and 

 the great peninsula of Italy, famed for centuries as one of the most beauti- 

 ful and fertile spots of the earth, which should be teeming with bird -life at 

 all seasons, is well-nigh desolate. 



In a former article (in Bird-Lore, November-December, 1906) I 

 spoke of the general absence of bird-life in Italy as it impresses an American 

 traveler and resident in that delectable country. Italian birds arc trapped 

 and shot in incredible numbers, especially during the spring and fall 

 migrations, without respect to kind, size or habits, and are regularly sold in 

 the markets as food for man and beast. Comparatively few birds are thus 

 allowed to breed, and outside of the limits of certain cities, no adequate or 

 uniform protection is afforded those which succeed in rearing young on 

 Italian soil. There is no strong public sentiment in favor of the birds, and 

 their service to agriculture is doubted. We showed that, in consequence of 

 the destruction of birds in Italy, the little insect-eating lizards had undoubt- 

 edly increased, that they form a vast army, enlisted to aid the farmer by help- 

 ing to save his crops; yet, in spite of the reptile brigades, many districts suf- 

 fer, and famine is not unknown. But the Italian might reply: "You are 

 jumping to conclusions too fast; there is a fatal flaw in your reasoning; liz- 

 ards, like birds, are indiscriminate destroyers of insects; how can you know 

 that they both do not effect more harm than good, or, at least, no less harm 

 than good by destroying parasitic and other insects beneficial to agriculture?'' 

 We shall meet this question again. It goes to the very root of the problem, 

 and may well stagger any one who has accepted a sentimental solution to 

 this large problem, without question. 



Before considering remedies for this hard lot of the birds, we will let the 

 Italians speak for themselves. The subject is wide -reaching, and I must 

 depend upon relatively few sources for information, but these are suggestive, 

 and, so far as they go, seem to be authoritative.* I made a number of 

 visits to the University of Rome to examine the excellent collection of 

 stuffed birds in its museum, which forms a very useful and instructive 



*It should be added that my observations in Italy were made in 1903-4, but, so far 

 as I am aware, the fortune of the birds has not materially changed since that time. 



('56) 



