BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 29 



and no other kingfisher had been seen at the place. 

 He added that the waterside which these birds had 

 frequented was resorted to by crowds of London 

 working people on Saturday afternoons, Sundays 

 and other hohdays. The fact that hundreds, perhaps 

 thousands, of pairs of tired eyes would have been 

 freshened and gladdened by the sight of their 

 rare gem-like beauty only made him prouder of his 

 achievement. This young man was a cockney of 

 the small shop-keeping class — a Philistine of the 

 Philistines — whence there was no call to feel surprise 

 at his self-glorification over such a matter. But what 

 shall we say of that writer v/hose masterly works 

 on English rural life are familiar to everyone, who 

 is regarded as first among " lovers of nature," when 

 he relates that he invariably carried a gun when out 

 of doors mainly with the object of shooting any 

 kingfisher he might chance to see, as the dead bird 

 always formed an acceptable present to the cottager's 

 wife, who would get it stuffed and keep it as an 

 ornament on her parlour mantelshelf ! 



Happily for the kingfisher, and for human beings 

 who love nature, the old idea that beautiful birds 

 were meant to be destroyed for fun by anyone and 

 everyone, from the small-brained detestable cockney 

 sportsman I have mentioned to the gentlemen who 

 write books about the beauties of nature, is now 

 gradually giving place to this new one, that it would 



