THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 131 



26tli, 1870, but autumnal occurrences are few and 

 far between. Apparently the only occasion that 

 Mr. Gatcombe met with the Dotterel in life should 

 be referred to the year 1875, as described in his 

 own words ; " October 22nd, walked with a friend 

 to the top of the Great Hangman, a lofty bluff or 

 headland rising a thousand feet above the sea, on 

 the coast, about seven miles from llfracombe. On 

 our gaining the summit of this great hill, I at once 

 caught sight of a Dotterel [charadius morinellus), 

 which almost immediately took wing, uttering a 

 rather low or feeble note, sounding to me something 

 between that of the Purre and Ringed Plover. It 

 did not, however, fly far, but alighted again within a 

 short distance, giving me a good opportunity of 

 examining it with my glass, noting its actions and 

 making several sketches of its attitudes. It 

 afterwards became very tame, moving slowly about, 

 now and then stopping suddenly to look round, 

 listen, or pick up something, and finally allowing 

 my approach to within fifteen yards. It was 

 altogether prettily marked, and the white band 

 above the eye was very conspicuous. The top of 

 Great Hangman has rather a wild aspect, reminding 

 one of Dartmoor, being covered with stones, heath 

 and low gorse, and is, I should think, just the place 

 where Dotterels might be found on their first 

 arrival in spring. The view from it is truly 

 magnificent, but the sight of the Dotterel alone 

 (the first I had ever met with in a wild state) far 



