214 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



sentiments, as a rule, are not understood by those 

 who have charge over groves and gardens, whose 

 minds are ignorant and earthly, or, as they would 

 say, practical. Of the balance of nature they know 

 and care naught, nor can they regard life as sacred j 

 it is enough to know that it is or may be injurious 

 to their interests for them to sweep it away. The 

 small thing that has been flying about and uttering 

 musical sounds since April may, when July comes, 

 devour a certain number of cherries. Nor is even 

 this plea needed. If it is innocent for the lower 

 creatures to prey upon one another, it cannot be 

 less innocent for man to destroy them indiscrimi- 

 nately, if it gives him any pleasure to do so. It is 

 idle to go into such subtle questions with those who 

 have the power to destroy ; if their hands are to be 

 restrained it is not by appealing to feelings which 

 they do not possess, but to their lower natures — 

 to their greed and their cunning. For the rest of us, 

 for all who have conquered or outgrown the killing 

 instinct, the impartiality that pets nothing and 

 persecutes nothing is doubtless man's proper attitude 

 towards the inferior animals j a godlike benevolent 

 neutrality ; a keen and kindly interest in every form 

 of life, with indifference as to its ultimate destiny ; 

 the softness which does no wrong with the hardness 

 that sees no wrong done. 



To return to the birds. The starlings have kissed 



