Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-11-04

meTiha0en, a nSh NOT eaten NY hu-
mans.
zone of these periodic flare-ups
against birds actually left deep mark
OH the development of the country ana
Is truly an historic episode. 1t Is re-
counted by E. H. Furbush, state
oruithologist Of Massachusetts that
the inhabitants Of Southern Harbor
great many years ago became alarmed
at the great flocks Of gulls which con-
srecated there to eat the heads and
remains Of the fish which were thrown
into the water. 1t is frequent charge
against the gulls that they destroy
food fish, hut the fact IS that they are
almost exclusively sc&vengers. The
anti-bird fever spread over this COM
munity and gulls were slaughtered un-
I'll they were exterminated. Then
what happened? The tons Of fishhead
and refuse thrown into the water was
washed up along the beaches, causing
stencil and sickness and making the
place uninhabitable. 1t ended with
the Southwest Harbor people leaving
the region almost In body and found
ing Bar Harbor, Me.
One of the few communities. on
the other hand. to appreciate ana
remember benefits they have received
from birds are the Salt Lake City
MormOnS.
"When they first settled the vicinlt!
of Salt Lake, grasshOppers came on
them, like the plaques Of locusts, set
thing on the ground in myriads and
threatening the complete destruction
of their crops. Then the seagalls game
out of the lake, eating the insects by
the millions, even lighting in the
yards and making their way into
buildings to catch them. They eS-
terminated the grasshoppers and saved
the colony from famine. And very
recently there was unveiled IN Salt
Lake City q beautiful statue IN honor
of the seagulls.
with the history before US Of 80
many mistaken crusades against birds
we feel that we ought to make sure
that we are right before attempting
to exterminate the bird which Ii the
emblem Of our freedom"
Letter UphoIds Bounty Law.
One Of the letters uphOlding the
bounty law Of Alaska is from Wright
Wenrich Df Juneau who said
"Strange as It may seem to you.
most Of us here shoot the American
eagles whenever we can. WhetheF u
bounty exists or not. feeling that every
eagle killed means the annual saving
Of many, many valuable, or at least
harmless, birtfs, beasts and fishes. We
feel as man has right to feel when
Il public service has been performed.
At least the lives Of many innocent
creatures has been spared,
"HOw many eagles exist in this ter-
ritory, comprising an area equal to 4
fifth of the United States, ] would
not venture to estimate. On August
2 l was discussing the salmon propa'
cation situation with the man in
charge of the territorial fish commits
son's work at Ketchlkan. Alaska.
Among other things he told me Of see
ing eagles in fOcks numbering 500
along the salmon spawning streams.
The birds We're busily engaged in pick
ing ont the eyes first. and then flesh
ing the bones OF the salmon so killed.
Nor were these spent salmon for they
had not recently entered the streams.
| do not doubt his story. Then, too,
many other men have estimated the
number of eagles seen in favorable 10.
calities along the salmon streams at
even greater numbers.
Another phase of the situation YVES
brought to my attention by q carefully
observing forest ranger, who has
been in This section many years-that
the eagles are becoming gunwise and
gunshy. Others have observed this
fact. So have l.
"A second phase seems to be de-
velOping-that the eagles seem to be
congregating I'm out tot the-way places,
turbed. The places where they 60,
and where man never goes, are GER
tainly numerous enough in Alaska.
at is because we know them To be
so numerous and TO be taking such
heavy toll of ducks, grouse and other
birds, fur-bearers, fish and even full
grown leer that we feel they should
be reduced in number until the harm
they do Is negligible.
"As l write ] have before me nOIes
of ten instances, where eagles have
killed, not only fawn, but full-grown
deer. Should the occasion require 1t.
do not doubt l could secure hun
dreds of affidavits to the effect that
eagles have been observed killing deer.
How many deer they kill out of sight