“TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED,"

Hokitika Guardian, 23 February 1924, Page 4

“TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED,"

By Victor 1.. AVi ueehurt-h. Kir Flinders Petrie, in his book ••Social Life in Ancient Egypt,' remarks :“Our notice 'Trespassers will be prosecuted’ is the most venerable formula we have. Tribal wars over hunting grounds have always been is organised to protect tho .- tight.-. The same social older is seen in animals ... it has been u'xi'fn"! that birds i-w-h season take up delinile bunting grounds and detcinl t hem against ail CIHUC! A remarkable iust: m-e of tat • primmed” occurred to w> snr- time ago when I was in the Shetland I lands. 1 vi-itod and explored the little i>hirds. For ..rune time f sinml "It the s |., t m. [d of l.’r. -ay. shontj, , .. Hi.* narrow .trail dividing the one tiny hott-e heard me and came across lor me in his hoai. ((nee on t lie i .land, ! climbed to ! hied of the eliil' and* 'looked down (Ml font at the thousand' ol guillemots and other bird' <-n the o-.lg- -u rook, listening to u veiitabb.- din ol bird chatter. The more 1.-vc! part of the island was the abode o! gull.. thete "elf two varieties, ihe white gull and the laijm black "Riohaid'un skua. .sharp dividing line between the two varieties. TT - i-land was about equally appm I initial between them, one hall being Tull of white and the other of Ida. k gtlll'. ■ ’Trc-pass.-i - v.ill he prosecuted” might have been posted up oil the dividing boundary. For though the birds wore living about, in hundreds, mil one ~| cither variety i-ro'-ed over into the territory ol the other. Black am! while were absolutely divided. | wits wondering what the penalty lor trespassing would b-. when the thing actually happened. A "Richard-mi >k-i:-." had H-* I"mcrity to invade the v hue atea and to || v s,,me fifty yards over the boundary. Tin- "pni'oeution" was instant a'toons. The while gall' Hew at him from all quarters and attacked him ,-avage|v. heating him down to the .ground. I ly.li. v-- the-,- Would have kill.-d him had I not gone to the tv-oue. I picked up the big hi.ink gull and carried him hack to the -airly ol hi- own territory. Ala-! Mr humane intentions were iiii'Und-wslood I- V the tribe of which that bird tvit- a im-m'.-r. No sooner had | ,-i-o- -ed the hnumlni y line than i became the I re: pa - One after another the in-ree Richardson skintkw they are fierce when excited--Hew at my head, and I actual!'.- hid t» i/uai-i! v ! i wiili my -’a k. Not until | put their (-.mpauinn down on the grit- • did they eca-e to 'aHack me. 1 , v. its til" old -terv of i 1-" prim: I instinct contain-d in lb- ven-ral-h' notice " fYe-p will !-.- pm-.-eoiil-.l ” the ins! im" - f p: -•rvat on n- • 'U'U'l* and one’s • tom- that emanated from the animal wet id atv I ru tv. il l r--M vr! i t'-'- v ovbl of humautiv And perhaps 1 1;■ - moral of t v li-i!" itdventun'- i-. •Tlesitnic b.-h;:v y,nt inteiTere in affairs t-f ot her tv-opin’® boundaries Ilia! *!-■'• i’ 1" <■ -u-ru you!” -Doily Mail.