DANGER OF AN EARLY EXTINCTION OF 
SONG BIRDS. 
The wide-spread slaughter of the birds is a far more 
serious matter than is generally supposed, not only in 
its esthetic and humane bearings, but also in its relation 
to man’s physical comfort and well-being. 
The means by which the wicked slaughter may be 
checked is therefore a problem that should engage the 
attention of the practical utilitarian as well as the 
humane naturalist. ; 
The preservation of the birds means not only the 
preservation of the most charming creatures that 
minister to man’s higher enjoyments, but it means the 
preservation of our fruits and flowers, our vines and 
vegetables, grain fields and grassy lawns; it means 
freedom from the most annoying insects and other 
troublesome creatures, that, if left to multiply, would 
render life a burden and some sections uninhabitable. 
Neighborhoods and countries are already paying the 
penalty of their unwise dealings with their feathered 
friends. In France several species have already been 
exterminated, and a failure of agricultural products 
have followed in consequence. In Italy also, where the 
highest ambition of the shiftless class seems to be to kill 
