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Hokitika Guardian, 5 February 1929, Page 7

A resident of Charlton lias two very fine cherry trees plowing in his garden (relates the Southland “Times”). This season they were laden with fruit, hut had it not been for a piece of good fortune and the employment of a rather novel idea it is probable that the members of the feathered tribe would have derived the greatest amount of benefit from tho “cherries ripe and red.” One day the resident referred to captured a hawk in a rabbit trap and clipping its wings tied it to one of the cherry trees. The plan worked admirably for a time. as whenever a smaller bird came near the hawk would squawk and frighten it away. After a week or so, however, the hawk freed itself by biting through the rope and was discovered flutteiing around the garden. In older to prevent a repetition of this performance tlie resident decided to tic the rope round the hawk’s neck. This also worked well for a time, but one morning it was found that the bird had overreached and strangled itself—a clear case of suicide. Nevertheless it bad given its life in a noble cause, ioi b\ tli ■ time, the cherries were ripe and rear y for picking.