THE BIRDS OP DEVONSHIRE. 75 



when examples of this species were killed on both 

 Exmoor and Dartmoor. The Rev. M. A. Mathew 

 once obtained a very dark example, which bore a 

 close resemblance to the North American form of 

 the Rough-legged Buzzard. Its food consists 

 chiefly of small mammals, one, that Gatcombe 

 dissected, contained the remains of a small rabbit. 



SEA EAGLE.— Haliaetus albiciUa (Linn). 



A RARE visitant, in immature plumage Dr. Moore 

 states in his account of the Ornithology of 

 Dartmoor, contributed to Rowe's Perambulation of 

 Dartmoor (1845), that Mr. Gosling of Leigham 

 informed him that a tradition claimed the Dewerstone 

 Rock as a former eyrie of the Golden Eagle ; but 

 Professor Newton (Yarrell B. B. vol I. p. 27. 4tli. 

 ed) , suggests that the species which bred their was 

 probably the Sea Eagle. Dr. Moore also records a 

 bird of this species shot near Kingsbridge, in 

 October 1832, having previously frequented 

 Dartmoor ; and a second killed near Bridestowe in 

 1834. Mr. D'Urban notices a fine example captured 

 alive near Holsworthy in North Devon, in January 

 1856, and exhibited in Exeter and other towns 

 (Zool. 1856. p. 5096). Mr. Cecil Smith writes that, 

 another Sea Eagle was shot on a wall at Dove, just 

 on the division of the counties of Devon and 

 Somerset, prior to the year 1875. A female 

 specimen was shot at Fordland's Farm, Tiverton, 

 by Mr. R. S. Norrish, on December 24th, 1887. I 



