224



Dr. A. G. Butler,



allowed to be persecuted in our garden, on the contrary, all are

encouraged, the result being that the fruit-trees and vegetables are

always clear of insects and vermin, with good crops of all. Yellow

crocuses, being a favourite toy of the House-Sparrow, are guarded by

red worsted, stretched round and across them. Not a single flower

is touched.


I may mention that my Ruddy Turtle Doves and Afras have

been out in an unheated aviary all the winter, and are out now,

merely sheltered from the north and east.



FOR LOVE OF SCIENCE.


By Arthur G. Butler, Ph.D.


In a recent review which I wrote of one of the pamphlets

issued by the Animals’ Friend Society, I stated that well-meaning

persons who wrote pamphlets of this character were hindering the

advancement of Science. In an article entitled “For Love of Birds,”

our Member Mrs. Currey observes that I accuse the pamphlet in

question of hindering the advancement of Science by calling

attention to many acts of cruelty to “ animals and birds ” * that go

on unchecked.” It would be impolite for me to contradict a lady,

but in justice to myself it is only fair to ask others to look at that

review and decide for themselves in the first place whether I accuse

the pamphlet or the person who wrote it, and in the second place

whether I did not agree with it in my condemnation of all acts of

cruelty : in fine whether I did not go beyond it in my personal

feeling against what is called sport.


There is not the slightest doubt that the Societies which

have sprung up of late years, with the avowed object of advocating

humanitarianism, while undoubtedly doing a little good, have

(owing to their refusal to look at both sides of the question) done an

incalculable amount of mischief.


Years ago, before birds-nesting was made illegal, I was

spending a holiday at the seaside with the object of adding to my



The inverted commas are mine : all living creatures are animals,

not beasts alone.



