CHAPTER V. 
SOUTH CORNWALL. 
Tue lodestone which attracted me to South Cornwall was Marazion 
Marsh, and on Marazion Marsh I saw one Dunlin, and never fired a shot. 
It was easy, nevertheless, to picture to oneself American Waders disporting 
themselves amidst its reeds and tussocks in a previous age. The books ascribe 
to it a Yellowshank and a Solitary Sandpiper at least, and it may well, thanks 
mainly to its geographical position, have produced other rarities of a similar 
type, but like most of these historic hunting grounds the place must have 
sadly changed since those palmy days. Now a railroad runs through its 
midst; it is getting gradually drained, and the surviving pools are few in 
number, and not particular promising. Lastly, it is in private hands, and, 
though one might perhaps have got leave to shoot over it by asking, the 
neighbouring foreshore between Penzance and St. Michael’s Mount seemed, 
at all events in August, to be the more likely locality of the two. Here 
I passed several mornings in a careful examination of the flocks of smaller 
Waders that frequented it, and, as shooting is allowed in Cornwall during the 
above-mentioned month, there was an unusual chance of getting summer 
plumaged specimens of the commoner birds. Black-breasted Dunlins were 
plentiful, and Sanderlings were scattered amongst them also in their summer 
dress. 
On the 6th of August I came across three beautiful Turnstones, and on 
the following day a pair of Oystercatchers added further variety to the scene. 
Ringed Plover were very numerous and tame, but, though I turned my glasses 
on nearly every bird in the hope of an American stray, I never came across 
anything that looked the least suspicious. Great excitement was occasioned 
one morning amongst these Waders by the sudden advent of a Peregrine, but, 
though his sombre form created a regular panic as it glided by, he took, so far 
as I could see, no notice of the scurrying flocks, but passed straight out to sea 
without doing harm to anything. 
After firing one shot in three days, I paid a flying visit to the Land’s End. 
We walked from the Logan Rock to the hotel in the hope of seeing a large 
