614 Frank E. Lemon : 



commonly with us, the Goldfinch, all the Woodpeckers, 

 and others. 



Among- the causes of the diminution of bird-life, some of 

 which it is not possible to condemn, or to avert, except to a 

 limited extent, may be quoted : — 



(1) Increased occupancy of land and the advance of 

 civilization, which has entailed the clearing 1 of forests, the 

 reclamation of marshes, and in some places the doom of 

 trees and hedgerows. 



(2) Bird slaughter for food. The extent to which this 

 is carried on in some countries must be deprecated, all 

 small birds — whether Swallows, Nightingales, Sparrows or 

 Larks — being caught or killed to supply the rich man's 

 delicacy and the poor man's hotch-pot ; and I may here 

 mention that the demand for Quail in every capital in 

 Europe out of season calls loudly for international inter- 

 vention. 



(3) Bird massacre to provide feathers for feminine and 

 military adornment; the more beautiful the bird the more 

 eagerly is it sought, and the devastation which is wrought 

 in the name of fashion is incalculable. The plumage being 

 at its best during the nesting season, it is at that time 

 that the commercial hunters take the heaviest toll for the 

 supply of the plumassiers, and no species, however abun- 

 dant or however prolific, can withstand such a drain ; 

 parent birds slain and young left to die of starvation must 

 eventually bring about the extinction of species. 



(4) Game preservation. Because of the ignorance and 

 prejudice unfortunately too often displayed by gamekeepers 

 in connexion therewith, strict preserving, as interpreted 

 by certain gamekeepers, means the destruction of every 

 wild creature that is not game, and this on some estates 

 has brought about a deplorable decrease of the larger 

 birds indigenous to England. Nature's balance of action 

 is thus put out of gear, and brings about a false prepon- 

 derance of other species. (This preserving has, of course, 

 acted largely in favour of many interesting small birds.) 



(5) Collecting, especially on the part of that large 

 majority who collect with little or no scientific purpose in 



