144 LETTERS TO MARCO xxn 



them twice, and made out forty at one time 

 and thirty-nine another ; my wife also made 

 them thirty-nine. 



The river had been in rather high flood, 

 and though it was running off, there still was 

 a good deal of shallow water left over the 

 meadows. The gulls flew round and round 

 in a flock and settled on the meadow by the 

 flood-water. The sun was shining brightly, 

 and the gulls, mixed up with the black rooks, 

 which were also feeding by the shallow water, 

 looked excessively pretty. The rooks re- 

 sented the intrusion of the strangers ; but the 

 gulls took little notice of the rooks' attacks, 

 merely shifting farther into the water out of 

 their way. I went out to my boat-house and 

 had a good look at them with my field-glass. 



These gulls come inland to breed about 

 this time, and were no doubt attracted by the 

 floods to the river. I have before now seen 

 one or two gulls occasionally on the river, 

 but so large a flock as this never. 



The weather has been so wet and bad 



