13 APRIL 1951, Page 15

Visitors from the Coast

The bad weather has driven many sea-birds inland, and 1 have been watching with admiration the large conference taking place between al, flock of rooks and another of sea-gulls. They have peopled a hill-sido for days, pocking the sown land with black and white, to make it resemble,' a game of chess ; but a very mobile chess, for they are never long 0 rest. The least interruption, and even a mere caprice of the wind, wilt. whirl them all aloft, gyre upon gyre, the rooks clamorous, but the gulls mostly silent except for an occasional swuark but that one enough to, bring inland the smell of ozone and tar, and the rattle of spade, buckets& and winches.