The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-20
SEA GULLS IN UTAH.
why They Arc Loved. and No Law IL Needed
TO Protect Them.

More than forty-hve years ago" said Eldred
Hitchcock of Salt Lake City. the Legislature Of
Utah Territory passed a law making 1t an Of
fence. punishable by heavy fine, to kill a sea
gull. Whether or not that law has been re-
enacted by the State Legislature l don't know,
but 1t makes no difference whether it has or
not, for there is nothing that flies or walks or
swims that the farmers of Utah have more affec-
ton for than they have for the sea gull.
I'm lS4s. the second year after the Mormon
pioneers had settled out there. when the crops
were young and green and promising for an
abundant harvest, which the settlers very much
needed. suddenly there came a most extraordi-
nary visitation of crickets. black. voracious, and
overwhelming. They came hopping down from
the mountain sides upon the fields in the Salt
Lake and adjacent valleys, and covered the
growing grain. leaving barrenness and desola-
ton in their wake. The hopes OF the pioneers
turned to despair as they saw their crops disap-
pearing day by day before this devouring plague,
and were loud In lamentation. because they re-
garded 1t as q curse sent upon them for some
shortcoming. No human effort was capable OF
successfully combating the hordes OF sable in
sects as they advanced over the land. and the
heartsick farmer could do nothing but stand
idly by, II despairing witness to the destruction
of his seasons labor.
'uS ho'h ihhhIicolullOu
was in store for the Utah pioneers. One day the
sky suddenly became dark with endless fiocks OF
birds that came from the direction of the coast.
They dropped down In thousands upon the
cricket-scourged fields. Then il was discovered
that they were gulls. OF the kind that al intervals
were wont TO visit Salt Lake In small and
work Mt devouring the crickcts. From morning
until night they gorged themselves INCREASINGLY
with the ravnginG pests. Day after day this
singular pursuit and destruction OF tho invading
Insects continued until the plague had disap-
pearcd before II, and the gulls rose and winged
their way westward toward the Pacific. Then
thore were days OF thanksgiving and praise, for
the crops were saved and ruin was warded from
young Utah. 1t was soon after this that the
Legislature passed the law protecting sen gulls,
as some little recognition n their services dur
ing that memorable visitation of crickets, which
was the first and last OF tho kind in tho history
OF that region.
Every season since then gulls in more than
usual numbers visit the farming districts about
Salt Lake, hut never In any force approaching
that grea- raid OF rescue In lSis. Some Seasons
thousands of them max DO seen in tho fields.
They follow the ploughman along the furrow
familiarity and iearlessly. Wherever there is a
newly plOughed field there the gulls may be
seen deyouring the Rrubs OF harmful insects the
turned'up furrow exposes 10 sight. The birds
seem 10 know that the farmer is their friend,
for they hover about and around him. and even
permit themselves to DO captured without much
protest. They never cat grain or any farm crop,
but deyour by millions the worms and insects
that are injurious TO the husbandman. SO there
IL no need of the law making IL an offensc 10
Kill one OF these birds. The farmer would almost
al soon think Of killing his brotbsrs"