The Seagull Monument.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20988, 26 September 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Seagull Monument.

Tho following is portion of an address broadcast last month, during Bird Week, from 2YA, /Wellington, by Mr. A. E. Wilson, of tho Tourist Department. Mr. Wilson opened hi<> address with a very beautiful description of the chorus of bellbirds and tuis at daybreak in tho forests of South Wcstland. I, too, have heard many a bird-chorus in those magnificent forests, . where tho bell-birds are so numerous. There are also many in Peel Forest, South Canterbury, where on one immense old lotara tree, I counted no fewer than forty-fivo bell-birds! Mr. "Wilson passed on from his description of our own bird-anthems to a most remarkable /incident that occurred in lUtah, U.S.A. Many of you have no doubt heard about it before, but tlie story of seagull monument will stand re-telling. " If it were possible to transport all our New Zealand people to these forests of South Westland, on just one favourable occasion, for just one break of day and setting of the sun, there would be no need for any Native Bird Protection Society. Without the bush, there would be no native birds. Without tlio birds there would be no bush. Then just why do- we not leave Nature alone? We have interfered in the' forward march of man in making tho land productive for man; then let us make well-thought-out adjustments. " This leads to the all-important phase of bird lifo other than its beauty, and its tourist revenue production—that of its practical utility to man. We recognise indeed, that on bush-clad hills are our very life, and the value of tho .birds

to tliafc bush, yet its utility is more easily seen in ilia cultivated work of our lands. If we allow the birds to go, wo upset tlio balance of Nature. Birds do not destroy an insect; they lessen its numbers to tho extent that the insect does not become a pest, but does its own good particular work as Nature intended. Here is an instance: Just about tlie time when wo were colonising New Zealand, the great State of Utah was also in its infancy: winter wheat and rye had been planted, and tho failure of the crops meant, in that isolated land, certain starvation for the whole of the population. Conditions; were very bad, food scarce, men and women were clad in the skins of animals—everything depended on this crop of wheat and rye. Cumo a great pest of crickets. The whole population attacked tho pest desperately with shovels and sticks, trenches were dug. anil fires made, but in vain; the people were in despair. "Suddenly, tho sky was over-clouded with seagulls, alighting on tho fields, and apparently assisting in the destruction of the crops. But no, the seagulls attacked tho crickets with amazing and relentless energy, devoured them, and then disgorging in the nearby streams and coming back for more! The great attack lasted a week; the crickets disappeared, and the seagulls went back to their heme—the menace was over. Enough crickets were left to do thfir allotted work. Ten years afterwards, they became a, pest again just in the same, way. Down swooped the seagulls once more, and history was repeated—the balance of Nature again restored. " Out of gratitude, a seagull monument was erected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, at a cost of 12,000 dollars. This is said to be the only monument in the world erected to birds. The birds hero in New Zealand do not want any monument—thoy only want fair play!"