BIRDS AS SCAVENGERS 



observation purposes, were promiscuous feeders ; they 

 devoured anything from caterpillars to offal, carrion, or 

 bread. Gulls at low tide destroy numbers of small 

 marine Crustacea and other creatures which are 

 enemies to the eggs and fry of fishes. 



Notwithstanding anything fishermen may say to 

 the contrary, the gull is a bird which deserves every 

 possible consideration by us. 



But in spite of the immense services rendered us 

 by the gull, these birds are allowed to be slain in 

 hundreds of thousands in various parts of the world 

 to supply the needs of the millinery trade. For 

 instance, on a certain island in the Pacific Ocean 

 200,000 gulls were murdered for the sake of their 

 snowy white breast feathers. These gulls, at the time, 

 were breeding, but the fiends who butchered them 

 were in no way deterred in the work of slaughter by 

 qualms of conscience for being the direct cause of 

 hosts of nestling birds dying of starvation. Such is 

 an instance of the terrible cruelties inflicted on our 

 feathered friends and allies — all to gratify the vanity 

 of woman. The plumage of a wild bird in a woman's 

 hat has been aptly styled " the badge of cruelty," and 

 it should certainly be so regarded by all humane and 

 sensible people. 



The gull has one serious drawback from our point 

 of view. It steals the eggs of other sea birds and 

 kills the nestlings when it gets the chance. At 

 St Croix Island in Algoa Bay it kills considerable 

 numbers of penguin chicks. 



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