GULLS AT ST. IVES 25 



degree supernatural beings, perhaps drowned mariners 

 and fishermen returned in bird forms to haunt their 

 ancient homes and associate with their human fellow- 

 creatures. The feeling is certainly very strong : I 

 was told that some of the fishermen even in their 

 times of greatest scarcity will always manage at meal- 

 time to put a few crusts and scraps of food into their 

 pockets to throw to the gulls in the harbour. 



FISHERMEN 



From all this it might appear that the gulls at 

 St. Ives are having an exceedingly good time, but 

 they are not wholly happy not happy every day, as 

 they very soon let me know. The fishermen, like 

 the Cornish people generally, are strict Sabbatarians, 

 and from Friday night or Saturday morning, when 

 the boats come in, they do not go out again until the 

 following Monday evening. In a neighbouring fish- 



