SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 189 
1596 to 1601,* but in that short time Puets are entered ten 
times in the lists of eatables served up to the representatives 
of the law. 
There is no information to hand for Ireland and Scotland, 
but as regards Wales we have John Ray’s journal, in which he 
notes of Caldey, one of the Pembrokeshire islands, which he and 
Willughby visited on June 10th, 1662: “In one part of this 
island the puits and gulls, and sea-swallows’ nests lie so thick 
that a man can scarce walk but he must needs set his foot 
upon them.” > Further than this, from Thomas Pennant’s 
“Tour in Wales,” we are able to sav that about 1781 and no 
doubt earlier, Gulleries of this species flourished at two lakes 
in Carnarvonshire, Llyn Llydan and Llyn Conwy.t § 
The Young Gulls commonly Fatted and Eaten.—Nowadays 
people eat the eggs of the Black-headed Gull, although 
they are very inferior to those of the real Peewit, but 
formerly the young were thought preferable. The mode of 
catching them, by driving them into nets before they could 
fly has been already alluded to. After that, placed in pens, 
and well supplied with bullock’s liver, they soon fattened, 
and were served at table as wanted, but others elected to 
have them fed with corn or curds from the dairy, which may 
have imparted a pleasanter flavour. The excellent Thomas 
Fuller, who had a high opinion of “ puetts ” as a table dish, in 
giving his experience says: ‘“‘ Being young they consist only 
of bones, feathers, and lean flesh, which hath a raw gust of 
the sea. But poulterers take them then, and feed them with 
* Printed in ‘‘ The Camden Miscellany,” 1858-9: the accounts enumerate 
many birds besides ‘‘ puets.’’ Gulls are named thirteen times in the 
month of July, probably young Herring Gulls from the rocks, the Great 
Bustard comes in once (when the Assizes were held at Salisbury, June 23rd, 
1600), Turkeys, under the name of Gannyes twice (pp. 19, 27), Oxen and 
Kyne—supposed to be Dunlins—once (p. 26), Partridges and Quails verv 
often, Black Grouse four times, the Woodcock only twice. Puffins are 
associated with fish, while young Herons, esteemed a festival dish, are brought 
to the judges under the appellation of Heronshaws, on no less than fourteen 
occasions. 
+‘ Memorials of John Ray,” p. 175, 
i“ Tour,” Vol, II., pp. 140,180. These places have probahly been long 
deserted, see Forrest’s ‘‘ Fauna of North Wales,” p. 380. 
§ For a full and excellent account of existing British Gulleries, up to 
1884, by Mr. J. E. Harting, see the ‘‘ Field’ for that year, pp 165, 204. The 
list has been well carried on by Mr. Robert Gurney in The N. and Norwich 
Naturalists’ Trans. up to 1919 (Vol. X., p. 416). 
