SAVAGE MAGPIES

Gisborne Times, 13 October 1932, Page 5

SAVAGE MAGPIES

MANY CHILDREN ATTACKED

CASUALTIES .NEAR NAPIER

WHICH SHOULD BE PRO

TECTED?

Attacks by vicious magpies upon schoo> children are causing anxiety to settlors and other residents of the Eskdale and Bay A’iew districts, ten miles notrh of Napier. Several children attending the Eskvicw school, which serves the two districts, have recently been attacked, and in a number of cases nasty wounds have been inflicted by the birds, which swoop on children not only oil road? m paddocks but even when tliey assemble in numbers in the playground. A boy arrived at school one morning recently with his head bleeding, another had his head pecked near the lines where the pupils v -ere assembled, a third boy had Ids face clawed and a fourth had a small piece of flesh taken from his shoulder right through a light shirt'. The birds glide clown noiselessly and before the children are aware of their -presence) a painful wound has been indicted. In view of the protection which is atforcled magpies the question has arisen among residents of the district', ''which should he protected, children or the magpies?”