419 



and families separately, nnd comjiare the relative numbers of species 

 in each in the two counties. 



The only species in Somerset among those constantly resident, 

 quite unknown in Cambridgshire, are the Dipper, the Cirl Bunting, 

 and the Black Grouse. The first of these inhabits rocky streams 

 chiefly in mountainous disti'icts ; the second is plentiful in some of 

 the southern and western counties, but does not get to the eastern ; 

 the third, common in Scotland, and the North of England, is only 

 met with in a few localities further South, the Quantocks in 

 Somerset being one of them. 



Perhaps the most interesting addition to the ornithology of 

 Somerset of late years is the Great Bustard. A flock of these fine 

 birds appeared at Braunton, near Barnstaple, in Devonshire, during 

 the severe winter of 1870-71, whence they dispersed themselves 

 over the country, and individuals were seen about the same time in 

 several diflerent places, one occurring at Shapwick, The bustard 

 is well known to have been formerly plentiful on Salisbury Plains, 

 as well as on open heaths in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, but has 

 long since been extinct as a permanent resident in this countiy 

 though stragglers have been occasionally met with. The appearance 

 of the flock in the above instance was probably connected with the 

 severity of the weather that season, causing a scarcity of food in 

 their native haunts, and obliging them to migrate elsewhere.* 



The reptiles and fish in Mr. Terry's lists do not contain so many 

 species as are found in Cambridgeshire, and the number of fish 

 probably might be increased. I do not think it at all likely that 

 the Sand Lizard, said to have been " killed in Bennett Street, in 

 1840," really belonged to this species. The sand lizard was first 

 described by myself as a native of this country from specimens 

 taken at Poole, in Dorsetshu-e, and it so nearly resembles a large 

 variety of the common kind that unless great attention be paid to 

 the structural characters the two species may easily be con- 

 founded. 



The Viper which abounds in the west of England is very rare iu 

 Cambridgeshire, as I mentioned at the reading of Dr. Bird's paper 

 on this reptile, in which he gave so full an account of its whole 

 * See " Nature," vol. iii., p. 198. 



