2 
The neighbourhood of Wimbledon Common, where I live, is infested 
by these brutes with their traps and nets. The bird-catcher pretends 
that he is supplying a public want, by furnishing the poorer classes 
with pets, but, for one bird that is petted, twenty are cruelly illtreated, 
and if the ^ne that is petted could be consulted, who doubts that he 
would prefer his liberty and dispense with the petting ? (Cheers). 
Then there is the cockney sportsman, who shoots at sea-gulls and 
every beautiful bird that comes in his way. I read not long ago of 
one of these gentlemen who went into Devonshire and shot all the 
Kingfishers on a particular stream. There appears to be little doubt 
that the number of these rare and handsome birds is diminishing 
year by year, and the same may be said of many other species, 
notably the Goldfinch. Lord Lilford, President of the British 
Ornithologists’ Union, writes:—“I hear many reports from various 
“ parts of the country, of the fast diminution in number of these 
u beautiful birds, caused by the pestilent arts and devices of the 
u bird-catchers.” This is to be regretted, not merely on sentimental 
grounds, but because it is proved beyond dispute that they are useful 
allies to the farmer. The Goldfinch feeds its young on small cater¬ 
pillars, and spends its time in destroying noxious insects and the 
seeds of groundsel, thistles and other injurious weeds. (Cheers). 
Many other species are of more or less value to the agriculturist. 
Larks, for instance, render great service in newly ploughed fields, by 
destroying myriads of insects and the seeds of weeds. It may be 
said that some birds destroy fruit, but after all, fruit trees can be 
protected by netting, and in the work entitled “ Ornithology in 
relation to Agriculture,” we have it on the authority of Mr. Watson 
that the fruit-eating birds earn their own living, by destroying 
great numbers of insects which would do far more harm to the 
fruit than the birds themselves. (Hear, hear). Nature has estab¬ 
lished an interdependance of animal life, and if one species is 
destroyed, another multiplies to excess, to the public injury. Last 
year, through the destruction of birds we had a plague of wasps, 
and the wasps certainly did more harm than the birds would have 
done. (Cheers). We read that in Jamaica, owing to the destruction 
of small birds, certain parasitical insects which they feed upon 
multiplied to such an extent, that cattle and sheep were literally 
worried to death. 
Mr. Lemon has asked me to say a few words to you regarding 
the recent attempt at legislation on this subject. (Cheers). Last 
year Sir Herbert Maxwell introduced a Bill into the House of 
Commons, to enable County Councils to prohibit the destruction of 
birds and birds’ eggs during certain months in the year. (Cheers). 
There can be no doubt that that Bill, if it had become law, would 
have been a useful and popular measure. I was glad to give it my 
humble support. It passed the Commons without opposition, but 
the Upper House, in its superior wisdom, so altered the Bill as to 
make it practically worthless. 
I asked Sir Herbert Maxwell to disagree with the Lords > 
amendments and send it back, but he considered it would be useless 
