Effect of War on Birds 



weather, are alleged to have attacked fisher- 

 men off Deal while making a record haul of 

 sprats in January 1917 : it was only with 

 considerable difficulty that the fishermen 

 were able to keep the GULLS at bay with their 

 oars (Globe, 23^.17). This temerity on the 

 part of the SEA-GULLS can perhaps hardly be 

 attributable to the War, unless, indeed, they 

 were infected with the war fever which per- 

 vaded the world. 



In the autumn and winter of 1917-18, 

 when energetic attempts were made to plough 

 up more pasture land in this country, motor- 

 ploughs were extensively employed for the 

 purpose. One observer noticed that the 

 GULLS, normally the constant attendants of 

 the horse-plough, did not follow the motor- 

 ploughs, presumably on account of their 

 noise and smell (Field, iG.iii.igiS, p. 391). 

 Another observer, however, reported having 

 seen hundreds of GULLS following motor- 

 ploughs as unconcernedly as if they had been 

 of the old-fashioned kind (Field, 30.^.1918, 

 p. 447). It is, perhaps, worthy of remark 

 that under the new regime, when it has be- 



158 



