THE COMMON C4ULL. 351 



They may be observed at this time feeding greedily on the earth- 

 worms and larvsCj driven out of the ground by severe floods ; and 

 the fish^ on which they prey in fine weather in the sea, leave the 

 surface when storms prevail and go deeper/^ "^ 



There is a poetic version of the same idea common to old 

 people in the north of Ireland : — 



" Sea-gull, sea-gull. 

 Sit on the sand, 

 It's never fair weather 

 When jou come to land." 



No doubt tliey are partial to inland trips when the country is 

 flooded^ and during storms ; but I have particularly remarked that 

 a tract of low -lying meadows near Belfast is, when under water, 

 always visited by them, in calm as well as storm, in fine and bright, 

 as well as in dull and cloudy weather; — the flood, occur when it 

 may, is an all-sufficient attraction : — young birds of the year, too, 

 make their way to this locality at the first flood of the season. 

 The storm seems to prompt these gulls to flight whether they be 

 at sea or inland, and I have frequently— perhaps as often — re- 

 marked them during storms to fly from the land to the sea, as in 

 the opposite direction. Tliey fly inland, too, during storms, 

 though there have not been any floods, and often keep at a con- 

 siderable elevation at such times. Sir Walter Scott, in the follow- 

 ing lines, alludes to the approach of the storm being known to 

 these birds : — 



" Moor, moor the barge, ye gallant crew ! 

 And, gentle ladye, deign to stay ! 

 Rest thee in Castle Ravenscheuch, 

 Nor tempt the stormy fi-ith to-day. 



" The blackening wave is edged with white ; 



To inch and rock the sea-mews fly ; 



The fishers have heard the water-sprite. 



Whose screams forebode that wreck is nigh." 



Lay of the Last N'mstrel, canto vi. 



On the 20th March, 1834, the ground being remarkably dry, 

 as no rain had fallen for the preceding three weeks — (and, as 



* ' Salmonia,' p. 193, 2nd edit. 



