FLAMBOROUGH HEAD. 
[Nature and Art, January 1, 1807. 
coast. Trees clothe the sides of the trench, adding 
greatly to the wildness of the scene. At the 
northern end they are stunted and gnarled, and 
with branches twisted by the rough northern breeze ; 
but at the southern and well-sheltered termination, 
they are tall and uninjured. The old earthworks are 
gay with golden gorse, and light green masses of tall 
herbaceous plants and bracken, amongst which most 
conspicuous by its height is the Weld, or Reseda 
Luteola , a plant which furnished our ancestors with 
a yellow dye. Let us descend into the valley, and 
climb the opposite hill. Hark to the sweet, wild song 
of the linnet, as he sits with his carmine breast show- 
ing bright in the clear sunshine, on the topmost spine 
of that gorse-bush. A blackbird rises from the 
bracken, and dashes deep into the plantation, utter- 
ing its well-known alarm note, which sounds to us 
like the word “chink, chink,” quickly repeated. 
The rabbits are scudding in and out of the bushes ; 
and high over-head a single lark, is trilling forth its 
song of praise. All nature is rejoicing in the bright 
sunshine of early morning. Mingling with the 
songs of the birds in one grand chorus, comes the 
ceaseless murmur of the waves on the pebbly beach. 
And now, as we climb the height and stand at the 
foot of the earthen mound, a solitary carrion crow, 
a very raven in size, rises slowly from the dell, 
and we wish for a gun to bring the black marauder 
down. He has been breakfasting on a young rabbit, 
which we find partly devoured amongst the green 
bracken at our feet. As he sullenly sails away in 
the direction of the Sewerby woods, he reminds us 
of the days when Denmark’s grim raven banner 
floated out from behind these strong intrenchments, 
over the ranks of blue-eyed, fair-haired warriors, who 
ravaged the pleasant Yorkshire valleys to the very 
walls of York. And here they could fall back with 
their plunder, and renew their strength for fresh 
inroads, and, with their backs to the sea, their 
dragon-prowed galleys safely moored in the little 
bay (now the North Landing-place), Avait for fresh 
supports from their countrymen. Here Ida, the 
“flame-bearer,” and his sons, with a great host of 
Angles, marched to the conquest of Northumbria. 
And now let us leave “ Danes’ Dyke,” which we 
shall cross again to-day at its northern termination, 
and keep close along the coast, and as near as 
we can to the edge of the broken cliff. And very 
picturesque and showy are these broken cliffs of 
diluvium, for at this season their weather-worn 
sides are gay with many wild flowers. Here we 
see bright yellow clusters of the Kidney Vetch, 
and the Great Yellow Bedstraw, contrasting with 
the pale pink flower of the Trailing Rest-harrow. 
There again are the purple heads of the Field 
Scabious, and the larger ones of the Great Knap- 
weed, with white clusters of the Bladder Campion. 
Where this landslip has left the top of the cliff 
with only a slight covering of soil, is a growth 
of more lovely plants ; — the Tufted Centaury, with 
its delicate pink flowers, thick clusters of the YelloAv 
Stonecrop, creeping along the exposed surface of the 
rock, and a profusion of pale blue Harebells. 
But stay, let us look from the flowers to the sea; 
for there is a large heavy-looking bird, with out- 
stretched neck, flying swiftly low down near the 
surface of the Avater — at this distance, not unlike a 
Avild goose. Noav it has settled in the sea, and not 
more then four hundred yards from our position. 
Out with our landscape glass, and let us have a 
look at him as he sits Ioav and long in the water, a 
very pirate craft in appearance. It is a cormorant. 
Noav he commences fishing, diving under the Avaves, 
and often, when necessary, going doAvn a great 
depth in pursuit of the fish, which seldom escape 
him. Noav he emerges again, but at a considerable 
distance : you may count thirty to forty slowly, 
from the time he dives to his re-appearance. He 
has caught sight, however, of our telescope, which 
he perhaps mistakes for the barrel of a gun, and is 
off, Avitli the same Ioav rapid flight to another part 
of the coast. That little bay which we are ap- 
proaching forms the South Landing ; and thence 
a road leads across the promontory through the 
fishing village of Flamborough to the north shore. 
A number of small boats, used principally for 
crab-fishing, are drawn up on the beach. In the 
centre of the bay are a number of gulls ; let us 
bring our telescope to bear upon them, and endea- 
vour to determine their species. You perceive 
three distinct sorts in the little company. Those 
four or five large ones swimming somewhat apart, 
with the yellow bills, are “Herring Gulls;” but 
further on are several smaller gulls, not unlike the 
Herring Gull in appearance, but with greenish-grey 
bills — they are the “common” species. Yonder 
again is still a smaller one, Avith a black head and 
red bill — it is the “Black-headed” or “Peewit” 
Gull, as it is sometimes called. Those “ PeeAvit 
Gulls” breed in colonies on the shores of some of 
the inland “ meres,” and the eggs are considered a 
great delicacy. There again are tAvo gulls larger 
than any avc have seen, sitting apart on that 
“ boulder-stone,” which has rolled from the cliff 
top, and now lies partly embedded in the sand, and 
surrounded by the tide : it is covered all over 
with trailing masses of the common bladder sea- 
weed. Bring the glass to bear upon them, and you 
Avill then perceive that they have the upper parts 
of the plumage black, except the head and neck, 
which are white. We know them for the “ Great 
Black-backed,” the largest of our British gulls ; 
their Avings Avhen expanded covering ti ve feet 
nine inches from tip to tip. They are of an ex- 
clusive disposition ; do not mix Avith other species 
(generally being found in pairs on exposed portions 
of the coast) ; and are by far the least frequently 
met with. On the Avaste ground near the landing- 
place, as also on the road leading up to the village, 
are drawn up the herring-boats, the property of 
Flamborough fishermen. All are gaily painted and 
in order for the herring season, which Avill soon 
commence. About the first Aveek in August, the 
boats are taken down on wheels, launched and 
fitted out in the little bays known as the North 
and South Landings, and soon the principal portion 
of the inhabitants of the little fishing village will 
be gathering in the harvest of the deep. 
