THE SERVICES OF THE SMALL BIRDS.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 88, 21 November 1872, Page 3

THE SERVICES OF THE SMALL BIRDS.

I.v the course of a recent discussion on the Wild Fowl-Pro-tection Bill, in the House of Commons, Mr Auberon Herbert, the liadieal memberfor Nottingham, delivered a speech on services rendered by small birds. In proposing an amendment, that the s&mo protection bo extended to all wild birds, lie stated their case: — •'As the House was aware, great harm was done to plants, trees, and fruits by insects of various descriptions. There was a species of beetle which destroyed whole acres of forest; but while we had an army of destruction, we had also an army of protection. Birds might be called the police or> soldiery of Nature, although they had, of course, many allies, such as the bat, the mole, aud the hedgehog. The reason why the swallows came over in Buch numbora to this country ■ was to feed on the immense multitude of insects which they found here, and which at particular seasons they were unable to find in their own country. The extent to which birds, he might add. fed ou insect life was hardly credible. Mr Ware, whose benevolent views with respect to animals was I well known, took the trouble to get up in the middle of the night and count how many times some birds fed their ycuug He found that the thrush worked even beyond Parliamentarv hours, becausc he began at half-past 2 in the morning, and worked till half-past 9 in the evening, or 19 hours, during which time he fed his young 200 times. The blackbird worked 17 hours, and fed his young It times, and the female 55 times, while titmice fed their young the marvellous number of 117 times in the day, as Mr \\ are believed, on catterpillars. We had also such birds as the swallow, the swift, the martin, the wagtail, the cuckoo, and the white owl, the use of which, he was sorry to say, was but very little appreciated, but ho would puss from them to other birds, whose characters were of a rather more doubLlul description.

He would first mention the 'sparrow, which did a great amount of good, and about the mode of conducting wlio.se operations a very curious story was told. He was seen fluttering about a rosebush aud flapping it, with his wings, just as a gamekeeper would beat a preserve, and was soon after found to bo engaged in picking up all the cattcrpillars which had dropped from the bush. There was also an historical anecdote with respect to the sparrow which was, he believed, perfectly trustworthy. Frederick the Great was very fond of cherries, and ho discovered that the sparrow had a similar liking. The consequence was that in his desire to preserve the cherries lie put a price on every sparrow's head, but at the end of two years he found it expedient not only to take off the tax, but to import sparrows at some expense into his dominions. Then there was the chaffinch, who was a graceful favourite with Mr Waterton, who was of opinion that he did a great amount of good. The only bird, as far as lie knew, which did not feed its young on insect.? and destroy a certain number of them in tho year was the wood pigeon, but even lie was of value. Lady C'outt:-) had written to The Times a short time ago to say that she could not keep even a nightingale in her garden owing to the prevalence of netting. Swallows were netted in the same way and placed in cages, in which not one-twentietl) part ol' them could live. A friend of his happened to be fishing the other day a little below Monkey Island, on the Thumes, and he saw the bodies of several swallows and swifts which had been shot by someone, floating by him. There were institutions called sparrow clubs, but the members of the clubs did not, ho believed, really know the effect of that which they did. Their conduct was compared by Mr Wood to tho act of shooting our own soldiers at the moment of invasion by the enemy. He ventured therefore, to plead on behalf of the constituency which had no votes, and which could not plead for itself, that no exception should be made in tho case of the birds to be protected by legislation. To gamo preservers he would mention the fact, that Mr Waterton had in liis sanctuary 119 different sorts of birds at different times, and that yet he had stated that nothing seemed to bo wrong in t}ie orchard or the garden, while Mr Ellice, who did not allow a shot to be fired during the previous season in his preserves, vet had plenty of game. Would it not, too, he would ask, give greater interest and variety to tho parks throughout the country if birds of every kind were allowed to take refuge in them, especially those of the rarer descriptions? But lie based liis advocacy of the ease of liis clients on another ground, and that was the ground of compassion. They were creatures which were entirely in the power of man, and it would, lie thought, be a geod thing for the national character if wo would consent to give up a little of that power over the life and freedom of other parts of creation,

especially seeing tliat during the time these birds were bringing up their young they displayed so constantly those qualities of devotion and courage which we all so much respected when exhibited by men or women. (Hear, hear.)" It will be admitted that the lion member made good his protection plea, but he deemed it prudent to withdraw the amendment in order that he might place no obstacle in tlio way of the bill, lie pledged himself, however, to bring up the matter in committee. The subject has been also brought under public notice by another letter from the baroness Burdett Coutts, and by one from the well-known Yorkshire ornithologist, the I'ev. P. 0. Morris, of Nunburn holme Rectory. The latter suggests to Mr Low the imposition of a heavy tax on all bird-cages less than a foot square.