A Treatise on the Birds of Gloucestershire. By W. L.
Mellersh. (J. Bellows, Gloucester. 5s. net.)—It needs an expert to appre- ciate the work of which Mr. Mellersh gives an exposition in this volume. But the brief preface appeals to all. In this he deals with the matter of the destruction of rare birds. Again and again we read in the papers some paragraph to the effect that some bird that has not appeared in a certain locality for twenty years has been seen—and shot. Commonly this is done by a keeper. All occupiers or owners of land should strictly prohibit their servants from destroying rare birds. By degrees a better tone of feeling might be produced. As our author puts it, "much might be done by stifling the demand, by changing an admiration of dead birds into one of living birds." Another matter discussed is over-protection. If the indiscriminate protection of all wild birds goes on, it will produce a reaction. "Locally spme birds may become a plague, and locally their partial destruction may become necessary." And there is the important question of "Nature Study." Few people have a special gift of observing Nature, whether in the plant form or the animal, which marks the great naturalist ; but the habit might be cultivated in many with great profit. What a boon it would be if a copy of this work were accessible in every Gloucestershire village.
Previous page
