190 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST* 



the crane-flies ; but it must be remembered 

 that very many insects are our friends, as, 

 for instance, the whole tribe of ichneumons, 

 and these are destroyed by the birds as well 

 as the injurious kinds. The wholesale pro- 

 tection offered by the present acts can have 

 no principle of this sort, in fact it has no 

 principle, for it protects all kinds, whether 

 they eat insects or grain. 



From the foregoing I think we may 

 assume that the recent acts have had con- 

 siderable effect upon bird life, and through 

 them upon insect life ; of the former we 

 have ample proof in the many notes and 

 observations which followed the passing of 

 the acts in the pages of the " Zoologist" 

 and elsewhere, and in the latter we have 

 proof in the scarcity of insects during the 

 past two years : and in the recent observa- 

 tions of entomologists, and that according 

 to the highest authority the acts werj not 

 needed. The entomologist has just cause to 

 complain, and to ask that these acts should 

 be repealed. 



Now let us briefly consider what the 

 Ornithologist has to say of these acts, and 

 being equally interested in both Ornithology 

 and Entomology, I cannot well be accused 

 of being biased either one way or another. 

 Now these acts which come into operation 

 in the spring and extend to the end of 

 August, totally prevent any one from ob- 

 taining certain birds in certain stages of 

 plumage, which only visit this country dur- 

 ing the time the acts are in operation. How, 

 for instance, are we to obtain the black 

 guillemot in summer dress ? And can a col- 

 lection of British birds be considered com- 

 plete without the changes of dress in the 

 different birds, and if not what are we to 

 do to obtain the specimens ? I am at pres- 

 ent requiring certain birds for figuring in 

 my "British Birds," which can only be ob- 

 tained in these particular states of plumage 

 — during the time the acts are in operation. 



These stages of plumage have not before 

 been figured, and I wish to make my book 

 as complete in this respect as possible, has 

 any one a right to step in and say we shall 

 not obtain them ? Is science to stand still 

 in order to please the whim and fancy of 

 certain individuals ? Shall we bend to a 

 mock tender-hearted feeling ? The destruc- 

 tion by birds, of fish by the thousands, upon 

 the Yorkshire coast, which has gone on to 

 that extent that poor old fishermen in ad- 

 vanced years have had to seek some more 

 remunerative occupation. The destruction 

 of cockle beds upon the Lancashire coast, 

 which was found so serious as to claim the 

 investigation of the committee of the British 

 Association. The wholesale destruction of 

 the seed-beds in spring, by the greenfinch 

 and other birds are matters for serious con- 

 sideration. 



I have already said that the birds needed 

 protection, but we can give no more sub- 

 stantial protection by Act of Parliament 

 than we can make men sober by the same 

 means. What is the cause of the cruelty 

 and destruction of birds and eggs to which 

 I have referred ? It is because children 

 have never been taught to be otherwise. 

 The position and uses of various animals 

 and plants in the system of nature has 

 formed no part of their education, which 

 has generally been scant. How the destruc- 

 tion of one animal interferes with the 

 balance of nature, how the same undue pre- 

 ponderence of some others over the ratio 

 they should occupy, equally interferes with 

 the same balance, was, and to a very large 

 extent still is, to the pupil leaving school, a 

 foreign matter. What I would do would be 

 to give to every child a thorough knowledge 

 of Natural History, which would result in a 

 love for natural history objects, that would 

 last through life and would give many happy 

 hours which might otherwise have been 

 spent in misery or evil. The love of nature 



