628 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



margins of the tertials, and less white on each side 

 of the vent. 



The egg is oval, and white.* 



This last family appears occasionally to he of 

 considerable service to man in various ways, several 

 of the species included in it at times coming inland 

 to feed, and picking up worms, gruhs and other mis- 

 chievous insects, after the manner of Rooks : it also 

 appears that they occasionally do a little damage, 

 hut not much in proportion to the good. Besides 

 this they are of some service to the fisherman, hy 

 pointing out to him where the shoals of fish are to 

 he found, as where these are, the Gulls always con- 

 gregate for their own purposes, and thus point out 

 to him the spot where he may cast his net with the 

 best prospect of success. 



My labours in regard to the Birds of Somer- 

 setshire are now come to an end. I have been 

 able to enumerate as many as 216 different species 

 as having been found in the county ; some of them, 

 certainly, mere chance visitors, making their ap- 

 pearance only accidentally or under pressure of very 

 special circumstances ; still by far the greater part 



* Yarrell, vol. iii., pp. 677, 678. 



