156 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



simple fact remained sadly unrealized ; though, fortunately long* ere 

 this, that most true regulator of an Englishman's actions, his pocket, 

 has caused the inveterate persecution to cease that was ruthlessly 

 waged against many of our commonest quadrupeds and birds. 



An example of this I happily find in the first page of an old 

 parish account book, in which the following items appear for the 

 churchwardens' account of the year 1827 :■ — 



s. d. 



For 41 Hedgehogs 13 8 



For 14 Crows 1 2 



For 2 Stoats 1 0 



For 141 dozen, and 9 sparrows 2 7 3 



£3 3 1 



making a total which might well have been applied to some far 

 nobler purpose ; but I am delighted to find my grandfather's name 

 appearing at the end of this first annual account, attached to a pro- 

 test against any further charge for Hedgehogs and Stoats (though 

 ceteris paribus, 1 really think he began at the wrong end of the 

 condemned list, as our little feathered friends are undoubtedly en- 

 titled to our truest sympathy) neither am I in a position to state, 

 from obvious reasons, whether it was true friendship for his four- 

 footed friends, or rather sound principles of economy, that moved 

 him to stand up in their defence. While in 1835 I find the still more 

 laudable protest of R. H. Hill, the Curate-in-charge, and my father- 

 in-law, against any further charge for Sparrows' heads; though the 

 eight years' delay between the abolition of the persecution of the 

 quadrupeds and the bipeds cost the Sparrow tribe the loss of no less 

 than eight thousand eight hundred and ninety -two of its members, 

 and the parish the sum of £12 5s. 3d. ; the fury of the persecution 

 ranging from seven dozen Sparrows, in 1832 (which partial cessation 

 is apparently accounted for by a change in the regime, as manifested 

 by a different handwriting appearing in the accounts), to as many 

 as one hundred and sixty dozen, one hundred and sixty-three dozen, 

 and one hundred and seventy-nine dozen respectively, in the three 

 succeeding years (when the old familiar handwriting re-appears) . 

 After this, as twenty-four out of thirty entries in the annual balance- 

 sheet were taken up with various items of Sparrow slaughter, the 



