166 THE BLACE-HEADBD GULL. 



houses, throwing up pieces of bread, which these lairds catc»li 

 in the air. 



The Black-headed Gull is common in Great Britain. 

 " In former times," says Bewick, " these birds were looked 

 upon as valuable property, by the owners of some of the 

 fens and marshes in this kingdom, who, every autumn, 

 caused the little islets or hafts, in those wastes, to be cleared 

 of the reeds and rushes, in order properly to prepare the 

 spots fbr the reception of the old birds in the spring, to 

 which places at that season they regularly returned in great 

 flocks to breed. The young ones were then highly esteemed, 

 as excellent eating, and on that account were caught in 

 great numbers, before they were able to fly. Six or seven 

 men, equipped for this business, waded through the pools, 

 and with long staves drove them to the land, against nets 

 placed upon the shores of these hafts, where they were 

 easily caught by the hand, and put into pens ready pre- 

 pared for their reception. The gentry assembled from all 

 parts to see the sport. 



" Dr. Plot, in his Natural History of Staffordshire, pub- 

 lished in 1686, gives the above particulars, and says that 

 in this manner as many have been caught in one morning 

 as, when sold at five shillings per dozen (the usual price at 

 that time), produced the sum of twelve pounds ten shil- 

 lings ; and that in the several drifts on the few succeeding 

 days of this sport, they have been taken in some years in 

 luoh abundance, that their value, according to the aboTi 



