THE FIVE WORLDS OF LARIE 



man came to do him harm; for the regulations under 

 the Migratory-Bird Treaty Act prohibit throughout the 

 United States the killing of gulls at any time. That means 

 that the laws of our country protect the gull, as of course 

 you will understand, though Larie knew nothing about 

 the matter. 



Yes, think of it ! There was a law, made at Washing- 

 ton in the District of Columbia, which helped take care 

 of little downy Larie way off in the north on a rocky 

 island. 



I said '^helped take care of " ; for no law, however good 

 it may be, can more than help make matters right. There 

 has to be, besides, some sort of policeman to stand by 

 the law and see that it is obeyed. 



So Larie, although he never knew that, either, had a 

 policeman; and the law and the policeman together kept 

 him quite safe from the dangers which not many years 

 ago most threatened the gulls on our coast islands. In 

 those days, before there were gull-laws and gull-police- 

 men, people came to the nests and took their eggs, 

 which are larger than hens' eggs and good to eat; and 

 people came, too, and killed these birds for their feath- 

 ers. Then it was that the beautiful stiff wing-feathers, 

 which should have been spread in flight, were worn upon 

 the hats of women; and the soft white breast-feathers, 

 which should have been brooding brownish eggs all 



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