WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 369 



stories of their having been seen are frequent. One 

 summer the story was so positive and so often re- 

 peated that I made a thorough search, and found that 

 it originated in the motions of a large diving bird. 

 This bird swam under water with wonderful rapidity, 

 and often close to the surface, so that it raised a wave, 

 and could be traced by it. This was the supposed 

 otter. The bird was afterwards shot, but its exact 

 species does not seem to have been satisfactorily 

 ascertained. Several kinds of divers, however, have 

 without doubt been killed. Grebes are often shot. 



Occasionally sea-birds come particularly a species 

 locally called the "sea-swallow," which frequently 

 appears after rough winds, and remains flying about 

 over the water for a week or more. Six or eight of 

 these are sometimes seen at once. The common gull 

 comes at irregular intervals, generally in the winter 

 or spring ; it is said to foretell rough weather. Occa- 

 sionally a gull will stay some time, and I have seen 

 them also in the water-meadows. Considering the 

 distance from the sea, the gull cannot be called an 

 uncommon bird here. 



Towards winter the wild ducks return ; and during 

 all the cold months a flock of them, varying in number, 

 remains. They are careful to swim during the day in 

 the centre of the very widest part of the lake, far 

 out of gunshot ; at night they land, or feed along the 

 shore. Teal, and sometimes widgeon also, visit the 

 place. Once now and then wild fowl come in countless 

 numbers ; it is said to be when they are driven south 



