46 
HISTORICAL PART 
more, because its cawing is disagreeable and we misunder- 
stand its usefulness. 
It is not the catching of song- and insect-eating birds that 
decreases their numbers but our destruction of their homes. 
Brehm objected to radical measures but accepted the 
opinion of the President, viz. that Jhe law is nothing if we 
are unable to execute it". 
Brehm proposed the following measures: 
Every wooded place, whether small or large, should be 
preserved as the refuge of birds. Particularly old trees must 
be tolerated. 
Special protection must be accorded to the starling, for, 
though noxious in vineyards, it can easily be scared away 
from them: but in respect to insects this bird is of more 
value than the rest put together, with the exception only of 
the titmouse and the yaffle. 
Everywhere there should be bushes, shrubs, trees, hedges 
as protection for birds. 
Better protection should be afforded to the crow as well. 
It is extremely difficult to decide which species of birds 
are useful and which are noxious. No- one can be surprised 
at the owner of pheasantries shooting crows, which there act 
as nest-robbers. Neither the griffon vulture nor the kestret 
ought to be put beyond the pale of the law because the 
former occasionally pounces on a sickly lamb or a straggling 
goat, while the latter, which is a mouse-destroyer and insect- 
eater as well, occasionally robs the nests of small birds of 
fledglings. 
Brehm accepted the \\V^ Clause of Tschudi's motion, 
that viz. referring to the appointment of an international 
committee with the object of classifying useful and noxious 
birds and preparing lists to be included in the international 
convention. 
