Drawn by the nostalgia of a Ladybird book, I picked this up in a charity shop recently.
I wasn’t around in 1950’s when this book was published, so I lack the first-hand context needed to comment fully. However, if this book represents a narrative typical of the era, is it any wonder my parent’s generation found it hard to pass on a more respectful, connected view of the natural world?
The beautiful images are coupled with text, some of which, in my view, makes an uncomfortable read. There is a general tone that suggests nature is a useful provision and most of the birds have a comment about their service to man. Birds are described as useful if they eat insects and worms and anything that might eat corn is apparently fair game to be shot. Each species also has a description of where to find its nest, at a time when the hobby of collecting eggs was still reasonably common. Collecting wild bird eggs became illegal in the UK in 1954.
Text includes…
“The nest… would be very difficult to find if the bird did not sing when you approach it. However the Whitethroat always does and so gives it away.”
“Coal Tits eat a lot of insects, so they are useful to man.”
“Rooks eat a great many insects, and also a lot of corn and other farm produce, so their numbers have to be kept down by shooting.”
“Sparrow-Hawks live almost entirely on small birds, which they catch in flight; but they also take the chicks of poultry and ducks. Because of this, every man’s hand is against them.”
“Many people dislike the Little Owl intensely, but it undoubtedly does more good than harm.”
Possibly the most culturally fascinating page is that of the Curlew.
“The Curlew gets its name from its call, which you must often have heard on the radio…
…Curlews nest on moors and bogs, or on hillside fields. It is not easy to find when the eggs are in it, but as soon as they hatch, the parents give the position away by their anxious cries as you approach. Curlews eat worms, snails, insects and a few berries… and a few people eat Curlews.”