86 Report of Committee on Bird Protection. Ff"^ 



the sheep have trodden a few to death, and some have been 

 crippled. These latter I have put to death, as they never could 



fly- 



" ' I should judge, taking the number of old Gulls, that there 

 was a greater percentage of young than for years. Old residents 

 of Cutyhunk and the local fishermen say there are more Gulls 

 than ever. Of course their judgment has little weight with me, 

 but having given the matter some attention, I am willing to state 

 that there are more old and many more young Gulls than last 

 year. 



" ' Two weeks ago, before the young could fly, I saw ten in a 

 space about a yard square, and I counted 500 of the young, 

 large and small, on the northern part of the island in a space of 

 about five acres. 



" ' These Gulls, when they begin to move about, walk in the 

 sheep tracks and rest there and will not stir without being 

 kicked out ; they are consequently trodden upon by the sheep, 

 and many get crippled in the wings. I made way with fifteen, last 

 Saturday and Sunday, maimed in this way, and I saw more that 

 I could not get, as they made for the water and swam away out 

 of my reach. 



" ' I have no means of estimating the number of young Gulls 

 already on the wing, but there are enough to satisfy any lover 



of the creature 



" 'A few Summer Yellow-legs came into the island Sunday but 

 were driven off again by the Gulls, who pursued them in multi- 

 tudes. Hawks are now also driven away, so that I think there 

 will be a large increase in the Gulls, large enough to suit the 

 desires of their best friends.' 



" No decision having been handed down by the Supreme 

 Court of Massachusetts regarding the status of the town of 

 Nantucket and the owners of an undivided part of Muskeget 

 Island, Massachusetts, until Sept 10, 1897, I found myself at the 

 commencement of the breeding season in quite a quandary, 

 especially as at the last moment the former warden was incapaci- 

 tated for the situation, and another man (a fisherman), without 

 consulting with me, had himself appointed without remuneration. 

 Being somewhat doubtful of the results of such an appointment, 



