BIRD-LIFE AT SEA. 241 



better known) bays of Naples and Venice! Begin- 

 ning on the north, the eye is arrested by the bold 

 promontory of Hope's Nose (a favourite spot for 

 Kingfishers), with its attendant satellites the Lead 

 Stone, the Oar Stone, and the Thatcher, on the 

 latter of which, by the way, is an example of a 

 raised beach, another being situated on the main- 

 land nearly opposite. Nearer Torquay there is 

 a short reach of shingly beach ; then the coast 

 resumes its rocky aspect past the Shag Rock 

 and the curious natural arch known locally as 

 "London Bridge," on to the harbour. Between 

 this and the station the bay is enclosed with a 

 fine pile of limestone rocks, below which is the 

 Terrace Gardens, famous for their palms and other 

 exotics growing in the open air, and a long 

 reach of sands (at low water) round to Corbyn 

 Head, where again the red cliffs assert themselves, 

 past Livermead to the famous Preston and 

 Paignton sands, considerably more than a mile 

 in length. Then, again, the coast is rocky beyond 

 Roundham Head to another fine length of sands 

 at Goodrington. Beyond these again there is 

 one almost continuous range of cliffs, here and 

 there faced with a bit of shingly and pebbly beach 



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