22O BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



ing here that the Osprey once upon a time (140 

 years ago) bred regularly on the white cliffs of 

 Beer, beyond Exmouth. Nowadays, the Osprey 

 is an irregular visitor only on migration to the 

 tidal waters and large meres of Devon, although 

 no examples have been recorded for many years. 

 It is sad to reflect upon the absence of this 

 fine bird from the county's ornis, especially as 

 there are so many spots where it could have reared 

 its young under most favourable conditions. The 

 species is lost to us beyond recall, although it is 

 satisfactory to know that the bird still breeds in 

 Scotland, and that these last remnants of the 

 indigenous race of British Ospreys are jealously 

 guarded. When standing on our western head- 

 lands, we often look across the Channel, over 

 the waste of sparkling waters to the line of 

 white cliffs hull down on the north-eastern 

 horizon, and think of those remote days when 

 the " Fish Hawk " returned each season to them 

 to rear its young, as Polvvhele recorded a hundred 

 years ago. 



By far the commonest land-birds of the mari- 

 time cliffs is our old friend the Jackdaw. We have 

 several very thriving colonies of Jackdaws round Tor 



