Genre:

Song, Drollery

Subjects:

Cruelty, Ornithology, Agriculture, Crime, Politics, Government

    This parodies the nursery rhyme 'Who killed Cock Robin?' to represent the recent political debate on a bill to prevent the killing of small birds. The song contains the remarks of several yokels, all of whom confess to killing a particular small bird and explain their brutal acts. The last verse reflects Punch's cyncism about legislation to protect small birds: 'Who'll go on killing the Small Birds? / Says the Farmer, He-hee! / You wun't convince we; / We'll goo un killun the Small Birds'.