EXOTIC BIRDS FOR BRITAIN 137 



us to enquire whether it is not in our power to better 

 ourselves. It is an old familiar truth — a truism — 

 that it is easier to destroy than to restore or build up ; 

 nevertheless, some comfort is to be got from the 

 reflection that in this matter we have up till now been 

 working against Nature. She loves not to bring forth 

 food where there are none to thrive on it ; and 

 when our unconsidered action had made these 

 gaps, when, despising her gifts or abusing them, 

 we had destroyed or driven out her finer kinds, she 

 fell back on her lowlier kinds — ^her reserve of coarser, 

 more generalized species — and gave them increase, 

 and bestowed the vacant places which we had created 

 on them. What she has done she will undo, or 

 assist us in undoing ; for we should be going back 

 to her methods, and should have her with and not 

 against us. Much might yet be done to restore the 

 balance among our native species. Not by legis- 

 lation, albeit all laws restraining the wholesale 

 destruction of bird life are welcome. On this subject 

 the Honourable Auberon Herbert has said, and his 

 words are golden : " For myself, legislation or no 

 legislation, I would turn to the friends of animals in 

 this country, and say, * If you wish that the friend- 

 ship between man and animals should become a 

 better and truer thing than it is at present, you must 

 make it so by countless individual efforts, by making 

 thousands of centres of personal influence.' " 



