SLAPTON LEY. 



Slapton Ley is a fresh-water lake, comprising an area of about 

 400 acres, situate about mid-way between Dartmouth and Kings- 

 bridge on the south coast of the county. It is the finest and 

 largest lake in the South of England : it is divided into two parts, 

 called the Higher and Lower Ley, by a stone bridge, the road 

 over which leads to the small village of Slapton, about a quarter of 

 a mile distant. The Higher Ley grows a large quantity of 

 reeds averaging from six to seven feet in height, these are 

 annually cut and tied in bundles, and sold for thatching purposes, 

 &c. Of these two divisions, the Lower Ley is by far the largest 

 and most important, extending from the above mentioned bridge, 

 which is nearly opposite the Royal Sands Hotel, to the small 

 fishing village of Torcross, about a mile distant When visiting 

 the Ley on the 1st of March, 1890, I was struck with the large 

 numbers of Wild-fowl which were swimming about on its 

 transparent waters, and amounting to some 10,000 birds, on a 

 rough estimate, and amongst which I distinguished the Tufted 

 Duck, Teal, Wigeou, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen and Water Eail. 

 Some few acres of this, the Lower Ley, are covered with reeds, 

 which are never cut but preserved as the breeding grounds of the 

 Wild-fowl, and constitute the favourite resort of the Bittern 

 which may be seen almost every winter, standing motionless 

 among the reeds watching for its prey. Whilst at Slapton, the 

 landlord of the Royal Sands Hotel, showed me the very spot 

 where, only two days previously, he had shot a very fine dark- 

 plumaged specimen. W. V. Toll, Esq., who resides near the Ley, 

 told me that he shot two Bitterns this year (1890), one in January 

 and the other in February ; he also informed me that he has seen 

 dozens on the Ley during the time of his residence in che 

 neighbourhood. Through that gentleman's kindness, I had the 

 pleasure of inspecting his collection of Birds amongst which was 



