440 THE GULL. 



near the county, but of this family, to which they have 

 belonged ultra hominum memoriam, and never moved 

 from it, though they have changed their station often. 

 They anciently came to an old Pewit poele, about half 

 a mile S. W. of Norbury Church, but it being their 

 strange quality (as the whole family will tell yow, to 

 whom I referr the reader for the following account) to 

 be disturbed and remove upon the death of the head of 

 it, as they did within memory, upon the death of James 

 Skrymsher, Esq., to Offley Moss, near Woods-Eves, 

 which Moss, though containing two gentlemen's land, 

 yet (which is very remarkable) the Pewits did discern 

 betwixt the one and the other, and build only on the 

 land of the next heir, John Skrymsher, Esq., so wholly 

 are they addicted to this family. 



" At which Moss they continued about three years, 

 and then removed to the old Pewit poole again, where 

 they contiuued to the death of the said John Skrym- 

 sher, Esq., which happening on the eve to our Lady- 

 day, the very time when they are laying their eggs; yet 

 so concerned were they at this gentleman's death, that, 

 notwithstanding this tie of the law of nature, which has- 

 been ever held to be universal and perpetual, they left 

 their nest and eggs; and though they made some at- 

 tempts of laying again at Offley Moss, yet they were 

 still so disturbed that they bred not at all that year. 



" The next year after they went* to Aqualat, to ano- 

 ther gentleman's estate, of the same family, (where, 

 though tempted to stay with all the care imaginable,) 

 yet continued there but two years, and then returned 

 again to another poole of the next heir of John Skrym- 

 sher, deceased, called Shebben Poole, in the parish of 

 High Offley, where they continue to this day, and seem 

 to be the propriety, as I may say (though a wild fowle), 

 of the right worshipfull Sir Charles Skrymsher, knight, 

 their present lord and master. 



" But, being of the migratory kind, their first appear- 

 ance is not till about the latter end of February, and 



