THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 63 



deal affected by Kingfishers ; scarce only, where 

 persecuted. The streams on Dartmoor are not so 

 well adapted to its habits and Mr. Mitchell finds it 

 scarce in the Tavistock district ; he has often met 

 with it on the Taw in North Devon, and lias also 

 seen it on the sea coast near Plymouth. 



Faillill/ CORACIIDyE. 



ROLLER. — Coracias (jarruhi, Linn. 

 A RARE visitant, obtained on three or four occasions in 

 the County. Mr. Rowe records a Roller killed at 

 Budleigh Salterton in September, 18^:1 ; another 

 was killed on Spriddlestone I'arm near Yealmpton, 

 June 21st, 18(36, and a third was shot near 

 Alphington, Exeter, on October 20th of the same 

 year. The first named instance was the only one 

 known to Mr. Rowe in 1863. 



Family Meropid^e 

 BEE-EATER.— lfero/;s apiasifpr, Liuu. 

 A RARE visitant. Dr. Moore writes in 1837, " a fine 

 specimen was shot at Leigham, in April 1818 ; 

 another at Ivybridge, in 1822 ; another is in ^Ir. 

 Rowe's collection." Mr. H. Nicholls has written to 

 inform me that he possesses a Bee-eater shot near 

 Kingsbridge in the spring of 1854. Mr. Rowe, in 

 1863 remarked " there has been no occurrence for 

 many years.'' Mr. L. M, Kennaway states that 

 he twice saw a Bee-eater in the neighbourhood of 

 Exeter during the summer of 1889 (Zool. 1890. p. 

 100). 



