6 BRITISH BIRDS. 



into Cheshire, while on the east side larger numbers work their 

 way down the broad vale of Trent and along the Lincolnshire 

 border into the eastern half of Yorkshire, from Huddersfield 

 to Teesmouth eastward. 



A large number of ladies and gentlemen have taken con- 

 siderable trouble in answering our questions and collecting 

 information. Without the kind help thus furnished, it would 

 have been impossible to produce an account of the Nightingale's 

 distribution with any pretence to accuracy ; in addition, 

 therefore, to those mentioned in the following pages, we 

 desire to express our indebtedness to Mr. E. R. Bankes, Mrs. 

 R. G. Beecheno, Mr. T. J. Beeston, Mrs. E. L. Calcraft, Messrs. 



F. Coburn, C. F. Davies, H. M. Dodington, A. H. Duncalfe, 

 Harold Evans, W. F. Evans, N. G. Hadden, Major G. Haines, 

 Rev. C. Homan, Messrs. F. A. Knight, A. G. Leigh, and Stanley 

 Lewis, Miss G. Lister, Mr. H. W. Mapleton, Col. H. Meyiick, 

 Messrs. C. J. M. Packe, R. Perkins, W. J. P. Player, C. Pym, 

 V. Ransome, N. G. Richardson, E. S. Rodd, J. Rodley, 



G. N. Sowerby, Joseph H. Symes, James Turner, and 

 T. W. Wilson. ^ 



Devonshire. — The presence of Nightingales in Devonshire 

 has for so long been looked upon by the pubUc as something 

 out of the ordinary, that their occurrence seems seldom to have 

 passed unrecorded. These numerous records have been 

 carefully gone into from time to time by Messrs. W. S. M. 

 D'Urban, Murray A. Mathew, E. A. Sl Elliot, and other 

 Devon ornithologists, so that it is a comparatively easy task 

 to define, on broad lines, the breeding-range of the bird in this 

 county. If a line be drawn from Dartmouth through Totnes, 

 Ashburton, Lustleigh, Dunsford, Crediton, and Tiverton to 

 Bampton, near the Somersetshire border, this will represent 

 tolerabty accurately the western boundary of its breeding- 

 range. (It is perhaps worthy of note that a continuation of 

 this Hne northwards to Watchet also marks off fairly accurately 

 the western boundary in Somerset.) 



To the east of this line the bird is entirely confined to the 

 river- valleys, and breeds regularly in those of the Teign, Exe, 

 Otter, and Axe, and, occasionally, at a few spots on the coast 

 between the Dart and the Dorsetshire border. Its numbers 

 are greatest about Bovey and Trusham in the Teign valley, 

 . and this may be said to be the largest colony in Devonshire, the 



