The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-20

During Nreading Time They Arc Like
BfRds OF tho Country.


During sreadinE Tims They Arc Like
Birds OF tho Country.
The gulls breed in nlershy places.
sometimes at considers bic distance
from the sea, returning to the coast
as soon as the duties Of incubation
are over and reappearing in the foY.
lowing spring. During the breeding
season they become. to all intenta
and purposes, birds Of the country.
not only In their habitat, but In
their habits, and are to be reckoneti
ia no small degree among the farm
er's friends. The number Of their
breeding places in Britain has di-
nainished considerably within his
toric times Sir Thomas Browne
tells .1s that in his day these birds
were in such plenty about Horsey
that "the country people sometimes
brought them in carts 10 Norwich
and sold eggs in puddings." The
colony at Horsey was dispersed
early in this century, and cattle
graZe On the excellent pasture land
which has been formed by the drain
ing Of the marshes. The colony did
not, in q body, seek q fresh breed
ing place, but spread themselves in
small parties over the broads. Some
came to nest at Rollesby for few
seasons, but the erection there of
the Yarmouth water works, it is
said, disturbed them and eventual
ly drove them away.
OF all the new colonies, the most
successful has been that at Hove
ton, not far from Wroxham, the
well known yachting center, where
they bred internationally till 1854,
when as many as 80 nests were
hatched off. From that date the col
cny may be said to have settled
there permanently, and they have
been consistently protected. Some
doubtless went to the noted breed
ing place at Scoulton mere, probably
the largest in the kingdom, known,
like the vanished one at Horsey, to
Sir Thomaa Browne, who, when
treating of these birds, wrote to
Merritt that great plenty thereof
have bred about Scoultop mere. and
from thence sent to London. And
at this place they have bred from
time immemorial.
The village Of Scou1ton lies on the
high road between Walton and Nor
wich, and not far from the village
is the famous mere, some two miles
round, in the middle Of which is a
large swampy island, with a thick
growth of spear grass and reeds
and bearing a few willows. About
the middle of February the birds be-
gin to come in, and the stream of
immigration continues for about
three weeks, when the nesting com
nences. Not that a nest, in the or
dinary sense of the word, is always
built-at any rate at Scoulton-for
the eggs are sometimes deposited in
hollow on the ground. Generally,
however, there is come kind Of q
nest OF sedges. red tops and with
cred grass. The birds begin to lay
in April, il the weather is mild, and
es sscoH aS they have fairly settled
down the eggs are gathered for the
market, and sometimes as many as
2, 900 have benn taken in one day.
When the birds are in full laying,
and have been left from Friday till
Monday undistrrbed, over 5, 00O eggs
have been collected. No more than
three are laid the first time, though
If these are taken, the bird will Law
again, but in the second and third
clutch there are rarely more than
Two.
During the breeding season the
birds spread over the country in
search OF food, following the plow.
picking up grubs and worms turned
lp by the share. One is glad to
zslog that the farmers have remem-
1ered their feathered friends. Lub-
book, in his Fauna Of Norfolk"
lays that now and then year or 1
jubilee is given, when no eggs are
aiken, and that on one occasion the
eggs were spared at the instance of
he eighboring farmers. who just
y valued the services Of these birds
q the destruction Of grubs, etc. AS
'ooni as the young birds can fly the
,olony breaks up, and its mcr,bers
lepart to the, coast, where, as rule,
hey spend the autumn and winter.
: 3y the middle OF August the gulls
ave left sfiieir breeding place, to re.
urn no more till the following sea
ion. London Telegraph.
An enthusiastic Astronomer.
So great was the enthusiasm Of |
he French astronomer, Ia Caille,
q the cause OF science that he re-
frinfa6 i'm col 46, II. &, =. CO :. q