Hostile Bracken
Bracken is another enemy of birds, and at the same time the best friend of the rabbit. Mr. Lockley, the owner of Skokholm, makes the discovery that it is a special friend of the black-backed and herring gulls. It gives them just the sort of concealment that they desire. When I was last in Skokholm we saw a bird that looked a fantastic size standing up on the edge of the bracken and the most athletic member of the party succeeded in catching it. It was a young greater black- back. Now it may be that the great increase in the harpy gulls, lamented all over the country, especially in Scotland and parts of Wales, is in some measure due to the increase in bracken, which is eating up valuable acres, especially along the West coast. It may interest those who dream of making some of the Welsh islands into sheep runs to know that the bracken is one of the worst enemies to the sheep. It harbours the insects that are their particular enemies, as well as the horsefly, which is a particular enemy of man. In any case the eradica- tion of bracken has become a national duty ; and it is not difficult to eradicate. I know one very flourishing sheep farm in Galloway where the bracken was completely conquered in three years by frequent crushing and cutting.
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