Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-16
PROTECTION OF SMALL BIRDS.

''Nothing" writes the venerable Gen. A.
G. Brockett of the United States army,
after years devoted to birds and animals,
'lightens up landscape more than the ap-
pearance of birds upon its face. They give
it life and animation, and at the same time
lend it bits of color which are highly effect
i've and attractive. Without birds the finest
landscape is tame and lifeless, needing
their movements and songs to cheer the
scene The birds are so clean, trim and
neat as to be most winning, while al! OF
their movements are full of grace. No
branch of animated nature exercises a
greater influence than these graceful crea-
lures in giving a finish to every
thing. They are always busy dur
ing the daytime, gathering mater
ial with which to build their
nest, or chatting in satisfactory manner
with their neighbors. They are always in
dead earnest, and whatever they do is done
with all their might They are contented
beings, and seem to make the most of what
has been prepared for them by a wise and
beneficient creator And it is for these
beautiful birds of plumage and song that
Professor J. P. STEELE, the able and learned
agricultural editor of the Fort Worth, Tex,
GAZETTE, lifts up his eloquent voice. In
lengthy but very interesting article he
pleads for a law if not a humanity that
shall preserve to US these sweet song birds
of field and forest. 1t is a shame that such
plea should be needed, and we hope it will
be effectual.
The preceding paragraph is copied from
the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal merely for the
purpose of adding that we are not much
stuck on the favor of bird laws, owing to
the fact that we have never yet known one
of them to be respected, especially in the
South. Alabama has an excellent bird law,
protecting all birds through the breeding
season, with the exception of blackbirds,
jays, hawks and owls, and protecting the
all seasons. A heavy fine is imposed on all
persons destroying or capturing the birds,
or robbing their nests, or even attempting
to destroy, capture or rob. The case can
come up before any magistrate and half the
fine goes to the informer. Twelve or fifteen
enacted, and there is not man now living
in Alabama who ever heard Of so much as
single prosecution, though the wholesale
destruction of birds has been going right
along since the passage of the law the same
as before. The law is simply a dead letter
on the statute books.
1t is entirely our conviction tAat the small
birds ought to be preserved. AS stated by
US in an article appearing in these columns
some months ago, everything would seem
to indicate that the fearful increase of our
insect enemies within the past few decades
is very largely due to the destruction of our
small birds, their natural check. In our
opinion the future welfare of American ag-
riculture demands that our small birds be
protected and encouraged, and that the
sooner this understanding takes hold of the
farming masses the better, for they are the
people mainly who could and should do the
protecting. But our past observations lead
US to believe that they will never be able to
do much at it with bird laws. They should
take square hold of the matter and put a
foot down as one man on this objectless bird
destruction, in a way to be felt, so as to
make the small bird destruction highly dis
reputable The people must be educated to
leave the birds alone. When farmers unite
lands with your bird-murdering contriv-
ances, for the birds are our protection, and
hence to the advantage of the whole coun-
try" public opinion will soon pegin mold
ing itself in that direction to the extent of
having it looked upon as thing of disgrace
to destroy the small birds. Get public
opinion into this shape and small-bird de-
struction will largely cease, but not till
then.