CHAPTER V. 

 SOUTH CORNWALL. 



THE 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 Vellowshank 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 



