262 BIRDS AND MAN 



put an end to such practices he would, he said, 

 be delighted ; but he drew the hne at forbidding 

 a man to collect birds on his own property. 

 " No, no ! " he concluded ; " that would be an 

 interference with the liberty of the subject." 

 Then it came out that he was a collector him- 

 self, and was very proud of the rare species in 

 his collection ! If I had known that before, I 

 should not have gone out of my way to discuss 

 the subject with him. 



Clearly, then, there is a very strong case for 

 legislation. How strong the case is I am not 

 yet able to show, my means not having enabled 

 me to carry out an intention of discussing the 

 subject with a much greater number of land- 

 owners, and of addressing a circular later stating 

 the case to all the landlords and shooting-tenants 

 in the country. That remains to be done ; in 

 the meantime this chapter will serve to bring 

 the subject to the attention of a considerable 

 number of persons who would prefer that our 

 birds should be preserved rather than that they 

 should be exterminated in the interests of a 

 certain number of individuals whose amusement 

 it is to collect such objects. 



