of bird protection. He spoke to the boys himself, and rules were 
put up at the lodge threatening the infliction of direst penalties on 
anyone who bought a single nest or egg. In many other schools 
this evil was rampant. In a few days, therefore, a circular would 
be issued by the Head Masters’ Associations to the Head Masters 
of all secondary schools begging them to take the matter in hand. 
When the mind of a Head Master was made up, it was wonderful 
what could be done. 
Ignorance was the greatest foe with which they had to contend, 
and with regard to the encouragement of collecting it was instructive 
to be reminded of what happened not many years ago in the 
Education Department itself. The study of nature was at that time 
taken up in a very lop-sided fashion, and an extraordinary step was 
contemplated by the Department. Orders were sent out to every 
elementary school in the kingdom enforcing the necessity of teaching 
children through the eyes as well as through the ears, and in order 
to effect this an immense list of objects for nature study was given, 
including portions of dissected birds, whose beaks and feet and so 
on were to be set before the children. It did not seem to occur to 
the Department that if the beaks of thrushes and the feet of bull¬ 
finches were to be provided in every school for this sort of nature 
study there would not be many thrushes and bullfinches left in the 
land. The matter was brought to the knowledge of the Hon. 
Secretary of the Society, and this awful scheme was with very little 
trouble nipped in the bud. This was one of the best things the 
Society had ever done. 
It was not, however, only in the Education Department that 
ignorance existed. In the course of an attempt to reach the higher 
ranks of society a letter was addressed to a lady of the highest 
station, drawing her attention to the fact that the egrets were being 
exterminated in Florida. The appeal was met with the reply : “ I 
cannot understand what difference it can make to birds in Florida 
what ladies wear in London.” Sad evidence of ignorance on the 
part of an educated lady ! 
A great deal could be done in the home by teaching the young, 
but it was noticeable that a marked difference existed between boys 
and girls, very few boys taking an interest in flowers, very few girls 
in birds. The reason for the boy’s interest in birds was perhaps to 
be found in the sporting instinct, which, if it could not be suppressed, 
could be guided. Much teaching was needed to make children 
learn what cruelty meant, and sometimes a practical application 
of the lex tcilionis was necessary. An enormous change had come over 
this country in the regard for natural life in general. When he was 
young not a word was ever said to him as to kindness to animals, 
who were never thought of except in so far as they ministered to 
the use or amusement of the family. Much of this change was 
attributable to the popular literature on the subject, which spread 
