The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-06-15
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1911.

An exchange suggests that schools
might aid the Audubon society to pro
tect song birds by teaching children to
love them.
The suggestion seems good one.
There are comparatively few parents
who set about in the right way to
teach their children not TO enjoy kill
ing birds. Whipping a boy who is
caught with murdered oriole or cat
bird in one hand and a fobert gun in
the other teaches him deceit and re-
bellion rather than humanity and a
love of wild things. If he were taught
in earlier years why he should not
want to kill birds whose presence adds
to the charm of life in the country, and
even to certain extent in the cities,
he might grow up with a mental atti-
tude toward them that would render it
as unnecessary to correct him during
the tlobert gun period of his life rs 1t
10 ioN ihSbSShl'C w w ops Nv NV
the introduction of simple course in
natural history as part Of the curri-
culum in country schools, grammar
schools and high schools, with view
to implanting a love of useful and orn
amental birds and desire to destroy
pests, prove eflicacious as a means of
protecting many varieties of birds that
are declared to be not only harmless
and attractive but also beneficial to
agriculture as enemies of insects?
1t is not the fault of the freckled boy
in knickerbockers that he goes about
roobing nests and killing birds. The
fault lies with those who have failed
to train by some method more effective
than merely laying down criminal
code and telling him what the penal
ties are, and that they will be applied
without mercy if he violates its provi-
sions. How attractive the suggested
course in natural history might be may
be easily imagined. The beauty of the
plumage or notes of the varieties of
birds found in the region and their
functions as insect destroyers might be
dwelt upon in the elementary course.
Popular errors as TO the destructive
ness of certain varieties of small birds
of prey might be corrected with the
progress of instruction. For example,
most OF us were taught a generation
ago to regard all hawks and owls as
our natural enemies, but naturalsts
now find that some of them live chiefly
upon field mice and other undesirables
and rarely attack the poultry yard.
A wide tield.of humanlzing literature
might be drawn upon for the advanced
course that might be employed to de-
velop an appreciation of the charm Of
the country and "A genuine sympathy
with the first families of the forest.
The popular idea that wild life must
naturally give way before civilization
is popular idea only in western coun.
tries where there has been no moral
force operating to prevent the exter-
mination of species Of birds and animals
that should be encouraged To survive
and allowed to multiply unmoested.
The schoolboy who shoots a song bird
with an air rifle or ilobert gun, or kills
his neighbours tame squirrel with
stone is not vicious, but he is ill-edu-
Gated. His energies are INSTRUCTED
for lack Of wise direction. 70 educate
him properly would do more good than
all of the law that could bc piled upon
statute books by Legislators who take
no interest in such laws and enact them
in response 70 the activity of members
OF Audubon societies upon whom they
look as harmless but impractical per-
sons who should be humored, although
the measures they are backing cannot
be taken seriously.