BIRDS 





211. Collared Pratincole. Glareola prafmcola, Linn. 



An accidental vagrant ; one shot at Truro in Sep- 

 tember, 1811, and one, a fine adult male, near the 

 Lizard, 9 June, 1874. 



212. Cream-coloured Courser. Cunorius gallicus 



(J. F. Gmelin). 



An accidental straggler killed at Mawgan near 

 St. Columb in December, 1884. 



213. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.). 



An irregular bird of passage, always in small num- 

 bers, but commoner in spring than in autumn ; oc- 

 casionally obtained on both journeys on the open 

 moors on the south coast, but the spring birds for the 

 most part follow a well-defined line on their journey 

 through the county, and linger but little on the 

 way. 



2 1 4. Ringed Plover. AegiaRtis biatlcula (Linn.). 

 Locally, Ring dotterel, Sea lark (see also Dunlin), 



Resident ; fairly common in summer on several of 

 our shingle beaches ; at Scilly breeds in considerable 

 numbers ; in autumn large immigrant flocks spread 

 round the coast and up the estuaries, and occasionally 

 venture inland on to the higher marshes. 



215. Little Ringed Plover. Aegalitii curonica (J. F. 



Gmelin). 



An accidental straggler shot at Tresco, Scilly, by 

 F. R. Rodd, in October, 1863, the only record for 

 the county. 



216. Kentish Plover. Aeffalltis cantiana (Latham). 



A rare casual ; one killed 17 April, 1852, on the 

 flat sands between Penzance and St. Michael's Mount ; 

 a second killed at the same place 17 April, 1858 ; 

 one seen by David Smith on Tresco Pool in Septem- 

 ber, 1 88 1, and one seen by A. W. Hawey near 

 Penzance, 14 August, 1900. 



217. Killdeer Plover. Aegialitis vocifera (Linn.). 



An accidental straggler from the United States, shot 

 at Tresco, 15 January, 1885. The bird, which was 

 a female, had been frequenting the Long Pool for 

 several days. 



218. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvlalis, Linn. 



A regular winter visitor, often in immense quan- 

 tities, but the numbers vary greatly, and during the 

 course of the autumn and winter they fluctuate con- 

 siderably in the same locality ; usually common in 

 the winter at Scilly, and in severe weather, with a 

 favourable wind, abundant. Occasionally large num- 

 bers may arrive in the county early in September, 

 but as a rule the largest immigrant flocks appear from 

 October onwards. Most of the birds leave by the end 

 of March, but stragglers, at times in full breeding 

 plumage, may sometimes be seen in May. 



219. Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.). 



A passing visitor in the spring and autumn, usually 

 more frequent at the latter season, when it may 

 linger for weeks ; not uncommon from Falmouth 

 westward to Scilly, where the beach at Samson appears 

 to be its favourite haunt ; not often reported from 

 other parts of the coast, except in the north-east of the 

 county. Immature birds may in most years be seen 

 all through the winter in Mount's Bay ; in great 

 abundance about St. Burian during the winter of 

 1887-8. 



220. Lapwing. Vanellus vulgaris, Bechstein. 

 Locally, Horniwink. 



Resident ; breeding on the Bodmin and Goss 

 Moors, at the Lizard, in small numbers in the Tamar 

 valley, and occasionally on Carnon Downs, Truro, 

 and Lady Downs, Penzance. Immense immigrant 

 flocks or stands arrive during the autumn and winter ; 

 extraordinarily abundant in the west of the county in 

 the first fortnight of January, 1891. On 14 Feb- 

 ruary, 1902, during a severe frost, a large stand 

 invaded Truro. Common at Scilly throughout the 

 autumn and winter, but does not stay to breed. On 

 13 February, 1902, a great flock three miles long 

 passed over the islands. 



221. Turnstone. Strefsilas interpret (Linn.). 



A passing migrant in spring and autumn, but in 

 the west of the county not uncommon during the 

 winter, and often seen in summer ; abundant at 

 Scilly all the year round, and has apparently bred 

 there. 



222. Oyster-Catcher. Haematopus ostralegus (Linn.). 



Locally, Sea Pie. 



Resident ; during the last thirty years has gradually 

 extended its breeding area from Scilly to Bude, and 

 Looe. At Scilly breeds abundantly, and on the 

 main-land nests in small scattered colonies. Small 

 migratory parties occur in the spring and autumn, 

 and large flocks are often seen in winter. 



223. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta (Linn.). 



An accidental straggler, of which five specimens 

 have been obtained in Cornwall, namely one at 

 Swanpool in November, 1845 ; one near Land's 

 End, 1 3 September, ! 847 ; one on St. Germans 

 river, September, 1871 ; one near Truro in August, 

 1880 ; and one in the Cober valley near Helston, 

 21 April, 1900. 



224. Black-winged Stilt. Himantopus candidus (Bonna- 



terre). 



An accidental straggler shot at Swanpool, Falmouth, 

 in 1851, and recorded by W. P. Cocks in the Naturalist 

 for that year (p. 114). 



225. Grey Phalarope. Phalaropus foficarius (Linn.). 

 A passing migrant in autumn, and an occasional 



winter visitor of irregular but not infrequent occur- 

 rence ; only once obtained in the spring, namely, at 

 Par in May, 1878. An occasional visitor at Scilly ; 

 two obtained in October, 1857, one 14 September, 

 1877, one January, 1893, and another 6 December, 

 1902. Large flocks appeared in the county in 1846, 

 in 1866, and in the autumn of 1891 ; a small flock 

 seen on Truro river in November, 1 904, and another 

 of about twenty birds on 26 November, 1905. 



226. Red-necked Phalarope. Phalaropus byperboreus 



(Linn.). 



A casual visitor in autumn, recorded from Scilly, 

 Land's End, Helford, Swanpool, Looe, and Dosemary 

 Pool. Generally occurs singly, but seven were 

 counted in a large flock of grey phalaropes on the 

 Helford river in October, 1891 ; most recent county 

 record, Swanpool, 21 October, 1902. 



227. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. 



A winter visitor, as a rnle fairly plentiful. The 

 first flights generally arrive about the second week in 

 October, and the birds leave early in March ; usually 



343 



