Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1908 — Cruel Contests. [ARTICLE]

Cruel Contests.

Bird singing contests for money and other prizes used to be frequent in England. Many of the little competitors, notably chaffinches, were subjected to dire cruelty on these occasions. To make them sing their eyes were pierced by a redhot needle for the purpose of completely blinding them. This was done to prevent any opposing exhibitor from frightening the birds and stopping their singing, an end which was obtained by waving some object in front of them. Blinded, the birds could see nothing, and they sang. The cruel practice has been practically stamped ont by the action of the Royal Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which issued numerous summonses against offenders. It may be that in some dark comer of the country the same cruelty Is still practiced, but the custom as a system is now done away with.—Pearson’s Weekly.