THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 125 



Gatcombe examined it in the flesh, and found its 

 stomach full of turnip leaves. In December 1871, a 

 flock made their appearance at Braunton Burrows, 

 and their history was fully ventilated by Mr. 

 Gatcombe, Mr. Cecil Smith and the Rev. M. A. 

 Mathew. Mr. Gatcombe was invited by the llev. 

 W. S. Hore to visit the locality, and gives the 

 following account of his expedition. "At Braunton 

 we ascertained that the flock consisted of eight 

 when first observed, and that they alighted in a 

 field at Croyde, where one was killed by Mr. 

 William Quick, and another shot, and one wounded 

 by Mr. Wells near Braunton. The remainder of 

 the flock then alighted near some boys who were 

 sliding close to the town of Braunton, who pelted 

 them with stones, upon which the birds flew off, 

 and have not since been seen or heard of. The two 

 killed weighed upwards of nine pounds each. Their 

 sex, unfortunately was not ascertained when opened, 

 but, judging from their appearance, I should say 

 they were male and female, and young birds of the 

 year" (Zool. 1871. p. 2475). Mr. Cecil Smith adds ; 

 " The most interesting ornithological event since 

 the irruption of the Sand Grouse is certainly the 

 occurrence of a flock of as many as seven Great 

 Bustards at Braunton, near Barnstaple. Two out 

 of the seven were shot, (both, I am told, females, 

 one weighing seven pounds, the other nine pounds), 

 one at Braunton on the 81st of December, 1870, 

 and the other at a place called Croyde, a few miles 



