The Western Gulls 



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protests; larger birds are 

 dismembered by two 

 gulls assisting in the 

 operation, after the well- 

 known manner of barn- 

 yard chickens with a 

 worm; and before the 

 adult cormorants have 

 recovered from their 

 fright and returned to 

 protect their homes, a 

 colony of several hun- 

 dred nests will be almost 

 destroyed. I have 

 found young Western 

 Gulls feeding on cormo- 

 rant squabs half a mile 

 or more from the nests 

 from which they had 

 been abducted." 



In this connection 

 I cannot forbear some 

 trenchant criticism of 

 the policy which the De- 

 partment of Agriculture 

 has hitherto pursued 

 with reference to the 

 protection of certain 

 coastal breeding grounds 

 of the sea-fowl. It was 

 highly proper that cer- 

 tain threatened species, such as the California Murre and the three 

 species of Cormorants and the Black Oyster- catcher , should be 

 guarded, not alone from the age-old depredations of the natives, but 

 from the increasing encroachments of irresponsible whites; but when 

 that protection, applied indiscriminately, had the effect of fostering and 

 multiplying the worst enemy of those sea-fowl, namely, the Western 

 Gull, the actual effect has been the direct opposite of that ostensibly 

 intended. The Western Gull has thrived mightily under protection, 

 while the other bird population has steadily decreased. If we are to 

 assume to regulate the affairs of the sea-fowl, we must really regulate 

 to the advantage of the greatest number of species, and not continue 



1385 



Taken on the Southeast Farallon 



Photo by the Autlior 



HEY! THERE! 



THE PHOTOGRAPHER HAS BAITED THE BIRDS WITH MURRES EGGS, AND THE OTHER FELLOW 

 HAS "BEATEN HIM TO IT" 



