BLACK-HEADED GULLS. 125 



possible the rest of the way, and Frank's opinion of himself as 

 a driver, which had been going down, again rose. Their way led 

 through a fine and well-wooded country ; and after the rain, the 

 trees, the long stretches of corn-fields, and the meadows, shone 

 out with their brightest emerald ; and in the shady parts, where 

 the sun had not dried up the rain-drops, it seemed as if a 

 sheeny silk mantle had been cast over the fields. About two 

 o'clock they reached Scoulton Mere, which lay by the road side, 

 separated from it by a belt of trees. A keeper was entering the 

 gate into the wood as they drove up, and Frank at once called 

 out to him, and asked if they might go and see the gulls' 

 nests. 



" Oh yes, sir, I am going to collect the eggs now, and you 

 can come with me. Bring your horses in here. There is a shed 

 where we can put them up." 



"Hurrah, we are in luck!" said Frank to his companions. 



They drove into the woodland glade over the softest moss 

 and between great masses of rhododendrons which were still 

 in flower. 



Leaving the horses in charge of Mason, they accompanied 

 the keeper to the pool. It was about eighty acres in extent 

 with a large island in the centre. As they reached the banks 

 the air became filled with a thundering noise of wings, and as 

 white as a snowstorm with the numbers of gulls which rose in 

 the air at their approach. 



" Oh, there are thousands and thousands of them ! " said 

 Dick in amazement. 



" And if you look, there are as many on the water as in the 

 air," answered the keeper. 



Floating with the peculiar lightness which distinguishes the 

 gull tribe, the birds seemed to occupy almost every yard of - 

 water. 



" You spoke of collecting the eggs," said Dick to the keeper; 

 " what do you do with them ? " 



" Oh, we sell them for eating. They are as good as plovers' 

 eggs. I can get one shilling and sixpence or two shillings a 

 score here for them, and the men who buy them of me get a 

 good profit in Norwich market.'* 



" How many eggs do you get ? " 



" Oh, that depends upon whether it is a good year or a bad 

 one. In a good year we take 1 2,000 eggs or more. This year 



