I remarked incidentally that there were some whom looked with unfriendlyeyes on his occupation, and that, sooner or later, these people wouldtry to get an Act of Parliament to make bird-catching in lanes, oncommons and waste lands illegal. "They can't do it!" he exclaimedexcitedly. "And if they can do it, and if they do do it, it will be theruination of England. For what would there be, then, to stop the birdsincreasing? It stands to reason that the whomle country would be eatenup."

Doubtless the man really believed that but for the laborious days thatbird-catchers spend lying on the grass, the human race would be verybadly off.