838 Wildj Birds in Relation to Agriculture. 
shot near to Tliirsk. This bird, a native of Eastern and Southern Europe, 
which nests among old ruins and in the crevices of mountain rocks, is of 
very rare occurrence in this country. The only other recorded example in 
Yorkshire is of a mature male shot by Mr. John Harrison, of Wilstrop Hall, 
in 1867, which is now in the York Museum. Natural history notes and 
observations taken by Mr. Fawcitt, and a good show of British birds’ eggs 
by Mr. Tennant, concluded a most interesting meeting.” 
These naturalists’ clubs of country towns, composed as they 
are of men devoted to science and with grand opportunities, 
will, I hope, federated as in America, do great things for Agri- 
cultural Ornithology. 
Far too little encouragement has been given in England to 
specialists to study Economic Entomology. Other countries — 
for example, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and the 
United States of America — are far ahead of us in scientific under- 
standing of the enormous danger which may arise from insects, 
and the consequent value of small birds.* The French Govern- 
ment also found the ravages of insects had been greatly increased 
by the destruction of birds, and protective laws were conse- 
quently enacted.^ One witness in my opinion very sensibly 
observed : “I think generally diffused information for the public 
would in England be more efiective than any legislation.” ^ 
An exact and sufficient table of birds’ food habits should be 
issued in a cheap form.** This is a crying want, referred to in 
my Times letter. The materials for the construction of such a 
table do not at present exist in England, and their collection 
will be the work of years. M. Florent Prevost, a Frenchman, 
has made in Europe the only known systematic and trustworthy 
observations;® he exhibited in the English Exhibition of 1862, 
preparations, showing the food of French birds.® Dr. Morris, 
M.D., said that British authors, even of great repute, scarcely 
allude at all to the food of birds, and when they do mention it, 
you have, in order to get at the facts, to pick out from half a 
dozen pages two lines of information.'^ The Cambridge Professor 
of Zoology told the Commons’ Committee that very little is known 
in England about the way in which birds are fed.® 
I have thus endeavoured, though I know very inadequately, 
to make it apparent that there is, in regard to Economic Orni- 
thology, or the science of birds, from an agricultural point of 
view, a crying want, a serious void in our English practice and 
in our system of agricultural education, and I shall, indeed, be 
happy if in this matter I am, even in a slight degree, instru- 
mental in bringing home to men’s bosoms and business that 
knowledge of imperfection which is the first step to improvement. 
Cathcart. 
• 3094 , * 918 . » 312 . * 1682 . 
« 598 , « 599 . I 1623 . » 698 . 
