46 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



to mark the deep water, and prevent such vessels as 

 essayed to reach Siddlesham from getting stranded 

 on the mud. These great square-headed posts 

 formed most convenient resting-places for Cormor- 

 ants, Terns, and perhaps, on rare occasions, an 

 Osprey. 



It was a pretty sight to watch a Cormorant 

 fishing as the tide went out, when, after getting his 

 fill, he would mount on one of these posts, and there 

 sit for half an hour or more with expanded wings, 

 huncr out to dry in the breeze. Sometimes three or 

 four Terns, or Sea-swallows, would contend for 

 possession of the same post, and, after jostling each 

 other for some time with noisy cries, would fly off to 

 the next post, where perhaps the same manoeuvres 

 would be repeated. 



During the months of August and September, 

 when the young Gulls and Terns were well on the 

 wing, there would sometimes be hundreds of these 

 birds in the harbour. The professional gunners 

 used to shoot them when they got a chance, in 

 order to dispose of them in Chichester either to the 

 poulterer or birdstuffer, and they found their way 

 eventually either to the plumassier, or to some public 

 or private collection of British birds. All the 

 commoner species of Gulls were usually represented, 

 except perhaps the so-called Common Gull {Lams 

 canus), which was by no means numerous. But 

 Kittiwakes (especially young birds in autumn), 

 Black-headed Gulls, Greater and Lesser Black- 

 backs, and Herring Gulls, in all stages of plumage, 

 were plentiful enough. Occasionally an immature 



