OCCASIONAL NOTES. 251 
miles of Plymouth. A short time since | remarked two immature 
Herring Gulls pecking at and apparently feeding on some decayed 
cabbage-leaves which had been left on a mudbank by the receding 
tide—a habit I had never before witnessed in any of the Gull 
tribe. 
Early in May I visited the breeding haunts of the Herring Gulls 
at Rhame Head, on the coast of Cornwall, a few miles from 
Plymouth, and found a great many birds sitting, but could see no 
young. Several Ravens and Kestrels were flying about the locality. 
A friend told me that some time since he shot a gull, in the gizzard 
of which he found a large whiting-hook firmly fixed, but, judging 
from the condition of the bird, it did not appear to have suffered 
any ill effects. 
nest bel 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Hontine tHE Witp Cat.—At page 202, Mr. Henry Reeks has expressed 
the opinion that hunting the wild cat was never considered royal sport, for 
otherwise it would have been noticed by Shakespeare. In this I venture to 
think he is mistaken, for in many old royal grants which I have met with, 
giving license to enclose and liberty to hunt, the wild cat is particularly 
mentioned and included amongst the beasts of chase. William Beriwere, 
who was a great favourite with King John in consequence of his knowledge 
in the art and mysteries of venery, received a license from that monarch to 
enclose his woods at Joare, Cadelegh, Raddon, Ailesberie and Burgh Walter, 
with free liberty to hunt the hare, fox, cat, and wolf throughout all Devon- 
shire.* From a charter of liberties granted by the same King, when Karl 
of Morton, to the inhabitants of Devonshire, it appears that the wild cat was 
at that time included amongst the “ beasts of venery” in that county. The 
original deed, which is still preserved in the custody of the Dean and 
Chapter of Exeter, is under seal, and provides inter alia as follows :— Quod 
habeant canes suos et alias libertates, sicut melius et liberius illas habuerunt 
tempore ejuset. Henrici regis et reisellos suos, et quod capiant capreolum, 
vulpem, cattum, lupum, leporem, lutram, ubicunque illa invenirent extra 
regardum foreste me.”}+ In 1286 one carucate of land in the county of 
Huntingdon was held by the serjeanty of hunting the wolf, fox and wild cat, 
and driving away all vermin out of the forest of the King in that county. } 
* Dugdale’s ‘ Baronage,’ vol. i., p. 701. 
+ “Ex Autographo penes Dec. et Capit. Exon.” From Bp. Lyttelton’s Collections. 
Quoted by Pennant, ‘ British Zoology,’ vol. ii., p. 308 (1812). 
t Plac. Coron. 14 Edw. I., Rot. 7, dorso; Blount, ‘ Ancient Tenures,’ p. 230, 
