BY THE WAYSIDE 
35 
» 
ails. When we have a good covering 
f snow, they must either take flight, 
r be provided for by man. 
In the case of our summer residents, 
nd the migratory birds, the situation 
> entirely different. Their food supply 
3 unlimited, and when the seasonal 
hanges come, they seek “fresh fields 
nd pastures new.” But the elimina- 
ion of the brier-patch, the old hedge- 
nces and weed-patches, have driven 
ven a good many of these to seek their 
ummer homes in regions where the 
ush, the vine and the wild flowers 
Till hold sway. 
Now what can we do to encourage 
lie birds in our cities? Well, there 
I re many things that we could do, but 
apprehend that there are very few 
things that we will do—except draw 
ip the usual good-intentionedi bird- 
rotective legislation that is worth less 
i lian the paper it is printed upon. 
The first and all important question 
! 3 : have we the necessary food sup- 
fly? We will first consider the resi- 
; ent and winter-visiting grain and 
;eed-eating birds—mostly all of these 
i elong to the great finch or spar- 
i ow family. They are the red-polls, 
he snow-huntings, etc. All were here 
ate in the fall, looking for winter 
uarters. What did they find? Bar- 
en fields and close-shaved lawns and 
loser-gnawed pastures, with a goodly 
'bunch” of yawping tomcats—and 
[[hey hiked.” 
Now, unless we set apart bird parks 
-let the hack-yard riot in weeds and 
Danish the weed commissioner from 
11 vacant lots and alleys—let the 
histle and the hemp and the myriads 
f other weeds have undisputed right 
f possession—not unless we do this 
dll these birds come back to us. 
We must provide bird parks, will we 
o it? 
Our Friends, the Sea-Gulls 
BY J. W. BRANN ; BAILEYHARBOR, WIS. 
Sea-gulls may justly be awarded 
first honors for perfection and ability 
in the navigation of the air. Look at a 
flock of these birds on a windy day on 
Lake Michigan, and note how well they 
have mastered the art of flying. They 
can, by perfect adjustment of body, 
with a single flap of their wings, make 
their way directly into the teeth of the 
gale. It is safe to say that human in¬ 
genuity will never devise air crafts 
able to duplicate the graceful and dex¬ 
terous flight of these birds of the sea. 
The gulls delight in breasting the 
gusty winds of the lake, and defy all 
power of wind and wave to conquer 
them. 
The gulls are as much at home on 
the water as in the air—riding the 
breakers wth ease and grace, and oc- 
casionaly diving headlong into the 
foaming surf. All this for fun and 
frolic. Now we see a large gull soar 
high in the air, and with a magnificent 
swoop of great velocity, he skims the 
surface of the water and rises again 
with the body of a dead fish that wag, 
spied from above. On a stormy day, 
they seldom dive beneath the surface 
of the water, but take more delight in 
doing “stunts on the wing.” 
These birds are scavengers of the 
sea and shore, and are of vast benefit 
to humanity in ridding places adjacent 
to the water of dead fish and fish offal. 
Were it not for these creatures, the 
sanitary conditions of our fishing towns 
along the lake shores and coasts, would 
be in a most deplorable condition. The 
writer has noted the good work of 
these birds as scavengers in Door pen¬ 
insula, that conspicuous projection of 
north-eastern Wisconsin, lying between 
Green Bay and Lake Michigan waters. 
(Continued on page 38.) 
