226 SPARE THE SONG-BIRDS 



XLI 



It must be accounted one of the minor evils of war 



Spare tiie *'^**' ^^^ *^® ^'^^^ *™® ^^ ^J recollection, 

 song-DirdB song-birds such as mavis, merle, and the like 

 have been offered for sale this year (1917) by poulterers 

 in some of our Scottish towns. No doubt strict 

 rationing and the high price of butcher meat will be 

 pled as excuse ; and good must be the excuse to justify 

 such a departure from the habits of our people. But 

 is the stringency indeed so great as to bring us into 

 competition with cats and rats and sparrow-hawks in 

 seeking what we may devour ? In France, Italy, and a 

 few other continental countries, small birds of all kinds, 

 especially blackbirds and thrushes, are relentlessly 

 killed and eaten during the spring and autumn 

 migrations ; but the British Isles have hitherto proved 

 a safe asylum for those that escape destruction. Many 

 years ago I spent my Easter holidays geologising and 

 botanising in Auvergne and Champagne. We had 

 three weeks of balmy April skies; never did that 

 delectable region put on a more enchanting aspect ; the 

 Grand Sarcoui was spangled with pasque flowers in 

 violet and gold ; the wayside copse was all embroidered 

 with tender green. In England at such a season and 

 in such winsome weather the land would be ringing 

 with bird song from dawn till ' dimsey.' ^ Far different 

 here ! No gladsome carol of lark on the open down, 

 no mellow note of merle in the green wood ; only the 

 mocking jeer of magpies and the confident chortle of 



' A Devonshire synonym for gloaming or twilight. 



