THE DESTRUCTION OF WILD BIRDS IN ITALY.
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Visitors to the Italian Lake District, walking on the foothills, may often have noticed semi-circular, pergola-like arrangements of wooden stakes about 10 feet high, upon which bushes are trained to grow. Near by is a small building with a scaffold-like erection beside it, both being also camouflaged with creepers and bushes. These harmless-looking erections are traps for taking wild birds, the house for the birdcatchers' paraphernalia, and the platform on which he conceals himself when on the look-out.
The traps are used in the autumn months at the time when migrants are passing through on their way South—their winter quarters. The stakes are covered with nets, limed twigs are used, and the birds are attracted to the traps by means of decoy birds confined in cages. Enormous numbers of birds for eating and other purposes are taken, including small insectivorous song-birds, redstarts, warblers and the like.
Perhaps the most distressing part of the whole business is the treatment of these decoy birds, mostly chaffinches and bramblings. They are confined singly in tiny cages about six inches square, which are hung up on the walls of many houses in the towns and hamlets. These birds present a pitiable appearance, many of them having had their eyesight de- stroyed, presumably for the purpose of making their call- note more penetrating. To many people this revolting cruelty may seem hardly credible. But the writer himself witnessed it in the district of Gardone.
As regards the wholesale destruction of insectivorous birds, this would appear to be a matter of serious economic import- ance for others besides the Italians. Protection for all birds is strictly enforced by their neighbours the Swiss, whilst we in our country endeavour to save these useful birds by every means in our power. How long will this destruction be tolerated in Italy ?—I am, Sir, &c., J. B. WATSON, Fellow of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Previous page
