BIRDS.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 419, 29 October 1861, Page 3

BIRDS.

Whatever may, or may not, be the result of the French session now happily gathered to the 'years before the flood,' it has certainly not been deficient in funny scenes, one of the funniest of all of which took place three days before the final break-up. One of the provincial senators, having had to present a petition from his department praying tor a law against the killing of birds, took the opportunity of reading an elaboratelypainpllod Speech' upon the matter, which treated of the question at issue in a most elaborate style, quoting every lawgiver and natural philosopher from Moses downward, to show that the feathered inhatutants of woods and fields are the invaluable auxiliaries of the agriculturist, and render him an amount of service in the destruction of insects and vermin, which would be cheaply purchased at thrice the amount he pays (hem in 'board-wages.' His array of quotations was something fearful; but it must be admitted that he succeeded in showing that the increasing slaughter to. which his clients are the victims year by year, is beginning to exercise a very prejudicial effect on French husbandry. He showed that 100 millions of bird3'-eggs destroyed yearly in France would have insured, if allowed to develope themselves into birds, one thousand milliards of voracious spoilers, the extent of who9e ravages now almost defy calculation ; and he ended by demanding that playing

at * Blind Tom 'should be made a criminal misdemeanour, and that all adults found guilty of destroying birds should be fined the sum of five francs for each offence. The Senate was excessively anxious to discuss the much vexed question of the water supply o f t ] le capital ; but the advocate of the 'warbling choir' held that august body by the button-hole for the length of an entire day, to the unspeakable disgust of its members, who revenged themselves for the annoyance by postponing the consideration of the question until next session. .