THE GULL. 439 



wings, nor the delicate white of the breast, nor the 

 slate -coloured back and wings, which they return with 

 in the following year. They remain till the young birds 

 are strong enough for a long flight, when they assemble 

 in detachments on an open field in the evening, and go 

 off in the night. The first detachments retire about 

 the end of July, and they almost entirely disappear in 

 the course of August. 



To what regions the great body resort for their 

 Winter abode is not exactly known; probably they 

 separate, and parties linger in particular spots, as in 

 the Autumn they appear in great abundance on the 

 coast of Carmarthen and Glamorganshire, about the 

 mouths of rivers. In Northumberland they are also 

 common, and for many years have attached themselves 

 to a large pond at Pallinsburn, the seat of A. Askew, 

 Esq., where their habits and punctuality are similar to 

 the account above given* and from whence (in conse- 

 quence of the increase produced by the protection 

 afforded during the breeding season), flocks have at 

 different times detached themselves to such other si- 

 tuations in the neighbourhood, as were suitable. 



The following account of these birds, from Dr. PLOT'S 

 History of Staffordshire (p. 231, edit. Oxford, 1686), is 

 also worthy of attention, partly from its accuracy, and 

 closely corroborating that just given, and partly as aa 

 instance of the credulity of the otherwise talented 

 writer, who so easily fell into the superstitious notions 

 of the neighbourhood, and firmly believed that the at- 

 tachment of these birds to particular spots depended on 

 the life and death of the proprietors: 



" But the strangest whole-footed water-fowle that 

 frequents this country is a species of Gull; in some 

 counties, calfed the Black-Cap, in others, the Sea or 

 Mire-Crow, here, the Pewitt; which being o*f the mi- 

 gratory kind, comes annually to certain pooles in tho 

 estate of the right worshipfull Sir Charles Skrymsher, 

 knight, to build and breed, and to no other estate in or 



