Cruelty to Birds 213 



as a consequence the brilliant flitter of goldfinches' 

 wings, the farmer's friends who eat the thistle seeds, 

 have become more and more scarce, where once large 

 flocks flew twittering over the fields and commons. 



Only the strict carrying out of the law can restore 

 them to their former numbers ; but at present there 

 is a great deal of talking and very little doing, unless 

 some county magnates happen to interest themselves 

 keenly in the matter, and bestir the county police. 

 In Switzerland birds are much more unmolested, and 

 the laws which produce this effect are, I believe, 

 strict. 



In France and Italy the destruction of birds is 

 lamentable and mean ; all the more so because large 

 numbers of those that are trapped and eaten, are our 

 English migrants, especially when on the autumnal 

 passage — redstarts, robins, thrushes, and other warblers. 



At Marseilles I entered a bird shop, presided over 

 by a flaunting lady speaking an appalling French of a 

 cockney order, whose face I did not catch a sight of, 

 owing to the thick covering of paint, and whose hair 

 was coloured a brilliant yellow. 



Some of the cages wore veils of calico, which 

 were violently disturbed by the flutterings of birds 

 within. It was mid April, the season of the vernal 

 migration. I lifted a covering, and expected as 

 much. 



Freshly caught spring migrants ! 



Pied flycatchers, yellow and blue-headed wagtails, 

 and blackcaps! 



I remarked that they were freshly caught, and that 



