File:Britain's birds and their nests (1910) (14755050472).jpg

Identifier: britainsbirdsthe00thom (find matches)
Title: Britain's birds and their nests
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Thomson, Arthur Landsborough, Sir, 1890- Thomson, J. Arthur (John Arthur), 1861-1933 Rankin, George
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain Birds -- Nests
Publisher: London : W. & R. Chambers
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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while now itis true that few who see the paper toys hovering overthe parks in fine days of summer have any idea that thebird from which they derive their name used to float allday in the hot weather high overhead. It is long since the Red Kite disappeared from Londonand the south of England generally ; but till late in lastcentury it nested sparingly in the wooded Midlands ofEngland and the central Highlands of Scotland ; to Irelandit seems never to have been more than a wanderer. Evenin these haunts it became extinct, and in 1895 the lastyoung brood of the century was reared near Shrewsbury.Birds of the old stock still lived, however, and only neededopportunities to hatch their eggs unmolested by collectors.Therefore, in 1905, when efficient protection was procuredfor them by a committee of ornithologists, two pairs success-fully reared their young in the mountain-forests of SouthWales. From, it is believed, five birds in 1905, ournative stock has increased to well over twenty. With
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Plate 56. KITE—Milviis ictimis. Length, 25 in. ; wing, 20 in. (AcciPlTRES : Falconidse.)W 178 BRITAINS BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 179 the continuance of the protection, it is to be hoped thatthe species will become to some extent re-established. Collectors are the worst enemies of birds, seeing thatthey persecute a rare species because it is rare. And therarer they make it the more they persecute it, so thatthe evil increases by leaps and boiinds, and may soon leadto total extermination unless their murderous and at thesame time senseless designs are thwarted by those whoplace a truer value on the wild-life of our native land.It is significant that those who have interfered in this andin many a similar case have been the real scientific studentsof bird-life, and that they altogether disown the collector,who delights to call himself a scientific worker, while he is really a kleptomaniac. No intelligent use is made of thestolen spoils by the average collector; no worthy advantageis derived

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