26 MEDIEVAL BIRD LAWS. 



to human life, and the struggle between man and 

 the lower animals was therefore confined to those 

 smaller creatures from which he could entertain no 

 personal fears, but which were believed to be 

 injurious to him in a minor degree. 



So the era of the Forest Laws of ^ former age 

 was succeeded by that of the laws for the protec- 

 tion of grain and the extermination of the so-called 

 vermin which man found to be in his way. 



It was in the reign of Henry VIII. that these 

 Acts were first passed. Crows, Choughs, and Rooks 

 being the first creatures against which statutes were 

 promulgated. 



In the year 1633 was passed an "Act to destroy 

 Crows, Choughs, and Rooks" (24 Hen. VIII., c. 10), 

 the preamble of which set forth that 



Forasmuch as innumerable numbers of Rooks, 

 Crows, and Choughs do yearly destroy, devour, 

 and consume a wonderful and marvellous great 

 quantity of corn and grain of all kinds; that 

 is to wit, as well in the sowing of the same 

 grain and com, as also at the ripening and the 

 kernelling of the same, and do make a marvel- 

 lous destruction and decay of the coverture of 

 thatched houses, bams, reeks, and other such 



