118 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



htunan life in the remoter regions of the world has 

 made a vast difference to the old order of things." 

 Many millions of birds are killed each year while 

 they are on their way to their breeding-grounds. 

 As a result many species are becoming very scarce 

 and will become extinct unless an international 

 agreement is made for their protection. The rea- 

 son these travellers are so easily bagged is that they 

 like to travel over the same route each year, unless 

 their numbers are so thinned out that danger of 

 extinction is imminent. 



Pliny tells us that tens of thousands of quails 

 were captured in a single day. These birds travel 

 by night, and sometimes, when the multitudes were 

 nearing land, the small boats were in danger of 

 being upset by their alighting on the sails and rig- 

 ging. They appeared a few years ago by the 

 myriads on the islands of the Greek Archipelago. 

 In the days of Moses people even tired of quail's 

 flesh as a diet, but alas, if Moses were alive to-day 

 he would have to pay dearly for a quail! 



In North America the great auk, now extinct, 

 was the only bird incapable of flight. Like many 

 of his road-making friends, he lost the use of his 

 wings, and in his surroundings the end became a 

 certainty. Only as propellers in the water were 

 his degenerate wings of service to him. The home 



