THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 101 



young Shoveller, shot on Strode pond in 1880, and 

 the Rev. M. A. Mathew records a young bird killed 

 on the Taw, as also a pair of adults shot on the 

 same river about March 20th, 1870. Gatcombe 

 examined a fine old male killed near Plymouth in 

 December 1873, and eight others obtained in the 

 following February, only three out of the nine being 

 female birds. Another male was shot at Brampford 

 Speke, December 13th 1875, and another was killed 

 on a stream near Kingsbridge by the gardener of 

 Mr. Mitchell, in December, 1879. 



VmTklL.—Dafila acuta (Linn), 



A WINTER visitant in sparing numbers to our 

 estuaries. Polwhele was well acquainted with the 

 " Long-tailed Wigeon or Sea-pheasant " as a visitor 

 to the south coast of Devon in severe weather. 

 Mr. Waddilove, who has had considerable experience 

 of wildfowling, is inclined to think that the 

 Devonshire coast lies to the westward of the Pintail's 

 usual haunts, and regards this species as decidedly 

 rarer at Exmouth than at Poole on the Dorset Coast. 

 Mr. Nicholls of Kingsbridge has recorded specimens 

 in immature or female plumage from his neighbour- 

 hood. My collection includes a female shot on the 

 Estuary of the Exe in March, 1888. 



TEAL. — Querquedula crecca (Linn). 

 A NUMEROUS winter visitant, but resident at Slapton 

 Ley, where it breeds sparingly. In October, 1875, 



