8 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



The evidence with regard to the second locahty, though 

 fairly conclusive, is indirect. It is derived from two papers 

 in the Stcssex Archcsological Collections, Vols. XI. and XLVIII., 

 the one on the family documents of the Wilson family of 

 Paxhill, near Lindfield, the other on the Household Account 

 Book of Francis, Lord Dacres, at Hurstmonceaux Castle 

 (August 1643 to December 1649). The first has already 

 been quoted from by Mr. Harting {Zoologist, 1891, p. 194), 

 in order to place on record the value of " Sea Gulls " in the 

 first half of the seventeenth century. These seem without 

 much doubt to have been Herring-Gulls from Beachy Head. 

 Both are also referred to by Mr. Gurney (Nos. 15 and 16) in 

 his list of seventeenth century Gulleries {Early Annals of 

 Ornithology, p. 188), where he somewhat doubtfully suggests 

 the possibility of Gulleries having existed near Hurstmonceaux 

 and Eastbourne respectively. If, however, we remember 

 that these two places must have been in the seventeenth 

 century almost adjoining manors, being separated as they 

 are by the width of the Pevensey marshes alone, and we 

 combine the facts given in the two papers we find that they 

 fit into one another, and the evidence of there having been 

 a single breeding place becomes stronger and clearer. 



To take the Wilson paper first, we find that William Wilson, 

 who was born in 1605, married Mary Haddon, whose step- 

 father, Dr. Burton, was the owner of Eastbourne Place. 

 Soon after their marriage, the Wilsons moved thither and 

 subsequently acquired it by purchase. An old Account 

 Book relating to this property, which is briefly quoted from, 

 gives details of its rentals and other revenues of the manor, 

 and amongst other things are : — " Item, there belongeth 

 to the sayd manor one warren of conyes worth £40 a yeare. 

 Item, belongeth to the sayd manor the royalty of hawking, 

 hunting, fishing and fowling. We take yearly within the 

 sayd manor ten dozen or twelve dozen of Seagulls, worth 

 30S. a dozen, ;fi8 ; besides puetts and sea pyes." Here 

 Mr. Harting's quotation ends, but there follows a further 

 sentence, whose significance is not without value in that the 

 possible breeding place of the " puetts " is indicated. " The 

 lord of the manor of Eastbourne hath 700 acres of ground, 

 which have long since been overflowed with the sea, which 

 in summer will keep 200 swyne and 300 sheepe, with two great 

 ponds with carpes and good fish." The only large piece 

 of water I can find on contemporary maps, and which 

 may or may not be one of these " great ponds " is marked 

 "Cronble Pond" in the atlas of John Speede (1610) and 



