A VISIT TO AN ESSEX GULLERY.
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doubtful, as [for instance] that they come on St. George's day pre-
cisely, that they seldom sleep whilst they sit on their eggs, etc."
From a contribution by Mr. J. H. H. Knights, of Ipswich, to the
"Field," in February, 1884, it appears that a few gulls still breed on,
and in the neighbourhood of, this Oakley Pewit Island. Probably
the bird still breeds, though in very limited numbers, on several
parts of the Essex coast, although Mr. Howard Saunders in his
edition of Yarrell's "British Birds," stated only a year ago (vol. iii.,
595) that he then knew of no breeding place of this bird in Essex.
Whilst wading about at the Gullery, we came upon the nest of a
dabchick, containing four partly incubated eggs, very much discoloured,
sopping wet, and covered with dripping water-weeds. The keepers,
who said they were fairly common in the Fleets, had some more
eggs, one of which, being freshly-laid, was almost white.
One of the keepers also had three wheatear's eggs, taken a few
days before from a hole in one of the sea-walls.
The only other interesting birds we noted were a few pairs of
Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla raii), which breed not uncommonly in
the broken ground on the edges of the marsh ditches; also a flock
of about twenty large gulls, probably Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
The keepers, who said that they had been blown there by the strong
south-easterly breeze, and that they would not remain, called them
"Great Cobs." It is hard to say whence they could have come at
this time of year, as there is no recorded breeding-place on the east
coast south of Northumberland.
From one of the keepers we heard of a large "Foreign Hawk,"
which he had seen about the marshes for several days, flying low
over the fleets, about three weeks before the date of our visit. As
he said it had grey or white over the tail, it was probably a marsh
harrier. He was unable to approach it sufficiently near to shoot it.
Its being here at this time of the year suggests breeding.
During the day we visited two ancient Decoy Ponds on these
marshes—one a small square pond, still known as the "Teal Pond,"
but now a long time disused ; the other a much larger pond, with
its pipes still almost perfect, and in working order, though now but
rarely used. There are now but half a dozen pipes, instead of seven
as formerly, the two south-easterly ones having been disused and a
new one dug in place of them. Both these decoys are described by
Sir Ralph Payne Gallwey in his "Book of Duck Decoys."
Mention of the Teal Pond reminds us that Mr. J. May, who has