Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1920-06-16
DO GUIIs KILL SHEEP?
Has Another Theory OF a Lifetime"
Been Kicked TO Death.

S0fsiutncuA OF thS L niteG states sit
up and take notice. and will attract
the attention Of ornithologists the
world over. for, II true. Ii means a re-
ysrssi OF form In nature, contrary TO
all the known habits of guIls As
PROT. Louis Agassiz wrote to the late
| Senator Frye after the latter had
sent him a square-tail trout pounds
heavier than any Prof. Agassiz de-
eiared existed. 1t would mean another
theory OF lifetime kicked to death
by fact"
Gulls are the great scavengers of
the coast, voracious feeders on ami
| mai and vegetable matter but usual
I ~ as earrion- Their natural diet is
composed of small fish and she'll fish.
Never before have they been accused
/ OF the murder OF anything larger
han fish, and with the countless num-
Der sof gulls all over the world. with
thousands of sheep on the islands OF
/ the Maine coast where the gulls CON
| gregate. II would be remarkable il
/ this charge against them should be
! proren-the first known case OF such
| depTayity to their discredit.
The messagewhieh made the bu-
| reauof biology of the United States
I AZ keaA : t4AN a. Vi y = kIhAkUEE sit ND ana
/ take notice was from a Hancock
| county mau-John G. Davis Of Hog
1 island. of the coast of Cane Roster
in the town OF Brooksviile. The de-
/ pariment got busy at once, and 3. Z.
Smith OF Portland. federal game war
den for Maine New Hampshire and
| Vermont, made a special trip down
here last Wednesday TO investigate.
I II from i'm. fr=a to-
teryiew. that The American CLEANS
the facts in the case.
Mr.. Davis wrote. under date of
| May 10. to the State department Of
inland fisheries and game. which
turned II over to the federal depart
ment:
| 4 am writing you in regard TO sheep
| killed by sea gulls tn the last four
weeks. have had Eve sheep and six
lambs killed by sea gulis. and as the
Euls are protected by law. I wish you
would inform me at once what to do in
this case. have some Of the sheep
now for inspection q you wish TO come
or send someone 10 investigate. I
would Ike TO hear from yen at once
50 eau dispose OF the dead sheep as
aon's Ike 70 have them lying around in
tire pasture"
Between the time the letter was
written and the visit Of Warden
Smith. Mr. Davis had lost several
more shec~. a~d ls~; Wednesday
| placed MS So - =. -1.>4 s-ee1
and twelve lambs.
Mr.. Davis. who lives on Hog is
land. keeps focks of sheep on West
arm and Pond islands near by. II
was on these islands that the sheep
| were killed. tn spring Mr.. Davis
found sheep dea or the islands,
| their eyes pecked out in every III
| stance. and their bodies torn open
| and entrails eaten. The most direct
| evidence he has against the gulls is
that one day, seeing a commotion
| among the gulls on Western island.
he went there. and found them flock
ing about theshee~. Oh TIE ground
was one lamb Mr. Davis picked it
up, and found it was still alive. One
| eye was gone. That lamb is still
alive and Mr. Smith saw it,
Did the gulls kill the sheep? That
Is the question the bureau of biology
| would like answered Mr. Smith is
skeptieal. yet admits that if the gulls
| did not Kill the sheep he does not
1
| elimination seems to put il pretty
| squarely up to the gulls. yet there is
their previously good record behind
them.
| What killed the sheep? Did they
| die OF disease. afterward TO be torn
| apart by the gulls? What about the
one stli alive. and with an eye
pecked olt and the fact that the
gsyN - Ar y
eased'
Grows Crows there were there.
but crows want their food dead. and
lead long time usually. They have
never been known 10 kill live sheep.
though the accusation in the present
case may be made against them with
as much Justification as against the
| gulls. as far as their past record goes
Eagles Eagles Kill. but they
carry OIL and they select lambs. not
tull-g on sheep.
Wild mails? None On the is
lands. and wild animals t'u by a
blow or bite, not by pecking out
eyes,
Men? Men would carry of the
flesh and leave the entraiIs. not take
the entrails and leave the flesh.
And there you are. right back
where you started. Did the gulls
kill the sheep?
Mr.. Davis. of course, wants his
sheep protected. There is no REIN
bursement. from State or govern
ment. for sheep killed by birds. The
gulls are protected Mr. Davis ad-
mits that he shot two of the birds
when he drove them away. as he says,
| s,1r, tho lornb baraSruad AT Western
island The State protects gulls.
with fine OF IS for each bird killed.
But the government also protects
them. and the federal law has some
kick in IT, Under the federal law
Mr.. Davis is liable TO a fine of $500
for each bird killed. or six months
Imprisonment, or both.
| Did the gulls kill the sheep? The
| ..-t...lA He % h.aAE from