322 



THE YOUNG 



NATUEALIST. 



are carniverous, and that they destroy 

 other vegetable- eating insects and slugs. 



From insects we turn our attention 

 to birds. Here we find it just the 

 same. Not only harmless birds, but 

 others of considerable benefit like the 

 kestrel and owls, are ruthlessly des- 

 troyed under the impression that they 

 are destroyers of game ; even the cuc- 

 koo, a bird so loved and welcomed by 

 almost all, has been found nailed up 

 in the gamekeeper's museum as a des- 

 troyer of game. And what can we 

 expect from such mistakes when those 

 in authority make such glaring blun- 

 ders ? Parliament recently passed a 

 ''Wild Birds' Protection Act,'' but 

 the principle of that Act is past the 

 power of any naturalist to find out. 

 Grain-eating and insect -eating birds 

 are alike protected, and even the sea 

 birds, which feed upon fish, are pro- 

 tected as the fishermen's friends ; until 

 now, when the Act has been in opera- 

 tion a few years, the birds have so 

 increased in some localities as to render 

 it almost impossible for fisherman to 

 obtain remuneration for their toil. 

 Some birds eat fruit, others grain, and 

 others insects. Some eat one thing at 

 one time of the year, and another at 

 other times, and ought not the farmer 

 and gardener to know all this? Go 

 wherever we will, into any rank of 

 society, or into any station of life, a 

 knowledge of natural history can never 

 be out of place ; but for the want of it 



we see, almost daily, most disastrous 

 and deplorable results. Man attacks 

 his friends and slaughters them; he 

 leaves his enemy to perpetrate his evil 

 deeds ; the poor starve to death while 

 vegetables grow abundantly in every 

 field. 



Temptations beset us on every side, 

 and if young men and young women 

 have not some good thing wherewith 

 to occupy their minds, evil things will 

 step in. The study of nature, whether 

 it be as a naturalist or as an artist, is 

 suited to either sex ; it will lead people 

 to a healthful and a pleasant life ; it 

 will free you from many of the tempta- 

 tions which beset your path ; it will 

 open out a wide field for the exercise 

 of your body and mind ; and in many 

 cases which I have known, it has freed 

 persons from the demon chains of drink. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All commumcations to be sent to J. E. Robson, 15, 

 Northgate, Hartlepool; or to S. L. Mosley Beau- 

 mont Park, Huddersfield. 



Subscriptions for Vol. III. are now past 

 due, and we will be glad to have remit- 

 tance from those who have not yet sent 

 them. Weekly numbers or monthly parts, 

 post free, 6/- per annum, or i/5 per quar- 

 ter, in advance. Coloured plates, 2d. each 

 extra. These can only be had direct from 

 the conductors as above, but any one 

 procuring them through the booksellers 

 can have them coloured on application. 



EXCHANGE. 



Duplicates — Lepidoptera : DefoliaHa, 

 Aurantiariay Progemmariay Leucophecuria 

 (males), Zanaria^ TJlmata^ Perla^ Chi^ Filo- 



