Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-04-14
GUARDS FOR SEA GULLS
Wardens Who Will Protect
Them From Lawless Plumers.
WILL FIGHT IF IT Is NECESSARY.

| From Destruction the Winged
scavengers of New York Harbor.
| Maine Is the Chief Slaughter House.
| Since the fashion in bird decorations
| for women's hats has turned to the
/ bodies and wings of various species of
sea gulls the American Ornithologists'
union has been trying to save these
! birds from the extemination which
1 threatens them from the dealers in
/ plumage, says the New York Sun. Re
Gently the union has issued an appeal
directed especially to residents of New
York city and the neighborhood and
calling attention particularly to the
/ value Of these birds as scavengers.
This appeal says in part:
! Simple economic considerations make
! it a matter of course that the gulls
must be saved. An immense horde
of them, which naturalists think
number anywhere from a hundred
/ thousand to a million, gorge twice
day in New York bay upon garbage.
| AS the hour of the dump approaches
/ their multitudes fill the whole air to an
immense height over an area of sew
eral miles, then gradually settle on the
sea In vast white sheets The whistle
of the police boat, the signal to dump,
seems to watt them simultaneously
into the air, to gather like dense snow
/ clouds over the floating masses Just
! emptied from the many scows. Imag-
! Inc from what an amount of putrid
matter these birds, as big as hens, save
! the adjacent beaches not to speak of
their perpetual cleaning in the actual
| harbors! If money enough can be
raised, the committee of the American
Ornithologists' union will guard every
breeding place where there is law to
back them.
Already nearly $500 has been raised
| for the protection of these sea birds,
and this sum will be employed in hir-
ing wardens who shall see to it that
the game laws along the seacoast are
not violated by the 'plumers." The
| terms have been nearly exterminated
from the part of the coast near New
York already, and there is danger that
in the coming breeding time they will
| be destroyed entirely, as the milliners'
agents have made preparations to car
ry on the destruction on a large scale
at the breeding grounds.
Along the Maine coast are the breed
ing places of most of the gulls which
fly about New York harbor, and the
special efforts of the union will be di-
rected thither during the coming sea-
son. So well organized are the plum
| I,aA ry1Ia 1or,-
with impunity, and it is not safe for
lone warden to interfere with them.
| SO the design of the bird lovers Is to
! hire enough men to make the protec-
! ton effectual and, If necessary. meet
! force with force. The coasts of Long
Island, New Jersey and Maryland will
also be looked after and perhaps the
coasts of Virginia and Florida. The
union requests that contributions be
sent to the treasurer, William butcher,
| 525 Manhattan avenue, New York city.
The gull which does the principal
scavenging in New York harbor is the
common large herring gull, and he Is
assisted in his good work by the black
back, a less common species here
abouts. In a recent number of Bird
Lore a photograph by Frank NJ. Chap
man is reproduced, taken, down the
bay in February several years ago
when II of the city's scows were
dumping. 1t gives some idea of the
number of these volunteer assistants
Of the street cleaning department.
| There are apparently about 1000 gulls
in the picture.
There is not much gull shooting in
the immediate vicinity of New York,
but there is a good deal on Long is
land. The state game laws protect
gulls and terms on Long Island from
Oct. to May l. and in other parts Of
the state from Sept. l to May l. In the
inland parts of New York state gulls
and terms are so rare that the killing OF
1 them is inconsiderable. Thousands of
birds killed In other states are sent to
New York state, however. In recent
fire on Long Island millinery taXider-
mist establishment was destroyed, and
it was estimated that fully 10000 gulls
wings were burned. In the current
number of Bird Lore facsimile or
postal card from a dealer in plumage
on Beekman street In New York city
is given. These cards were sent all
through the south, addressed merely
to 1.-THE Postmaster" of the various
towns. At the upper right hand corner
of the card was a picture of dead
bird and below it this statement:
Below hand you prices for the following ar
ticles in our market. | always obtain for ship
pers the highest market price on the arrival OF
goods | want for immediate shipment the very
, largest gray gulls.
|. Following this is list of the prices
offered for various birdskins, mostly
those of gulls. The highest price offer
ed is 40 cents and that is for the her.
ring gull, the scavenger of our harbors.
Prices are also quoted, all ridiculously
low, on laughing gulls, royal terms,
Wilson terms, sea swallows both black
and white and blackheaded least terms.
The attention of the postotfice de-
partment was called to this matter,
and a notica yas sent ont by the de-