TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 122, 16 February 1935, Page 6

TO-DAY’S NATURE NOTE

A Feathered Arbitrator During a recent visit to the seaside I threw on the rocks at the water’s edge a piece of stale steak. Almost immediately there appeared a smallish gull with plumage of white and french grey, and scarlet beak and legs. Apparently feeling unequal to the task of removing his prize, he mounted guard over it and commenced to call his friends in shrill tones. His worry increased noticeably when bis SOS was answered by the appearance of a tern of about his own size and weight, which alighted about a foot away and commenced to “swear” at him. For some little time the one continued his cries for help and the other his futile threats, and a stalemate appeared inevitable when a raucous squawk overhead announced the arrival of a third party. A Huge black-backed gull macle a (lignified descent and proceeded to arbitrate in the time-honoured manner of the lawyer. Grabbing the delicacy with a supreme indifference to the feelings of the other aspirants, who stood protesting at a respectful distance, he calmly devoured the plunder, thus settling the dispute by removing the cause.— Percival (Lower Hutt). ['The above observation wins this week’s prize of five< shillings.]