Punch,  57 (1869), 138.

Our Poulterers and Birds of Prey

Anon

Genre:

Essay

Subjects:

Natural History, Zoology, Museums, Ornithology, Hunting, Morality, Crime, Politics, Government


    Challenges the proposal to remove the collections of 'stuffed birds and other zoological specimens' in the British Museum and store them elsewhere. Instead argues that the collections should be 'destroyed' since natural historical objects are useless and stuffed natural historical objects more so. As Britons have been 'abandoning British Birds to gradual extinction', 'British Ornithology', as well as 'Natural History and Zoology', is 'utter bosh'. Notes that a recent 'writer' in The Times lamented the decline in the number of birds of prey, a conclusion which the author corroborates. Noting that birds of prey are slaughtered in the interests of aristocratic poulterers, questions the use of stuffed birds of prey. Concludes by calling on Parliament to follow up its recent law protecting sea-birds from hunters, with new legislation affording 'raptorial birds some protection from the landed poulterers'.



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