136 GULL. 



The Black-cap, Pewit, or Pnit, Gulls, as by some called, breed 

 on the shores of some of our rivers, but full as often in the inland 

 fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and other parts of England ; 

 likewise in Northumberland, and Scotland ; they make the nest on 

 the ground, with rushes, dry grass, and such like, and lay three 

 greenish brown eggs, marked with red brown blotches ; after the 

 breeding season disperse again to the sea coasts. Mr. Ray* gives 

 this account of them— " We diverted out of our way to see the Pnits, 

 " which we judged to be a sort of Lari, in a Meer, at Norbury, 

 " belonging to Col. Skrimshaw. They build altogether in an Islet, 

 " in the middle of a Pool ; each hen layeth three or four eggs, of a 

 " dirty blue or sea-green, spotted with black ; at the driving every 

 " year, they take commonly above 100 dozen young, which they 

 " sell at live shillings the dozen. The colour of the Puit is near 

 " that of a Sea Mew, i.e. white and somewhat flecked, only the 

 " head is perfectly black ; about the bigness of a Teal or a Widgeon. 

 " They come to this Meer the beginning of March, and are all gone 

 " by the latter end of July, or before. They usually drive them 

 " about the 6th or 8th of June, sooner or later. They have some- 

 " times divided, and part removed to another Meer not far off", but 

 " this is not often." Dr. Plot, in his History of Staffordshire^ 

 gives a similar account; and adds, that the young birds are accounted 

 good eating, and are kept alive, and fattened on offal. They were 

 driven into nets, and three drivings generally made in one season ; 

 and anciently, as many were taken, as the profit amounted to fifty 

 or sixty pounds. 



The young birds about the Thames are called Red-legs, and are 

 thought to be good eating, but the old ones, called Black-caps, are 

 less esteemed, being rank, like other old birds. — Found in Russia, 

 and throughout Siberia, as far as Kamtschatka, but not farther north." 

 Are in such numbers at Aleppo in winter, and so tame, that the 

 women divert themselves on the terraces of the houses by throwing 



* Select Remains, p. 217. f p. 231. 



