The Zoologist— October, 18G7. 925 



possible, what sea or other birds continued to breed in this little- 

 visited locality. Authentic reports, several of which are adduced by 

 Mr. J. F. Brockholes, in his paper "On the Birds which Nest in the 

 District" (read before the Lit. and Phil. Soc, October 15th, I860), 

 testify to the former incubation upon the Cheshire sea-beach and 

 lower shore of the Dee on this side, of the ringed dotterel, oyster- 

 catcher, common tern, shieklrake and rock dove. These species being 

 supposed to have been almost if not wholly frightened from breeding 

 with us by the increase of population, influx of visitors to Hoylake 

 and the Leasowe Embankment, and last, though not least, the inces- 

 sant popping of the guns of incipient riflemen — the more quiet and 

 less accessible angle of Flintshire comprising the Point of Air seemed 

 to offer facilities for illustration of ornithological life as existing here 

 half a century ago. The tract in question lies considerably to the 

 right of the railway line to Holyhead, which winds under the high 

 ground and through the estate of Sir Piers Mostyn, whose residence, 

 Talacre Hall, although surrounded by fine woods, is sufficiently 

 elevated to command the whole sweep of the country shoreward, 

 which, with the exception of an occasional reach of sand-hills, forms 

 a dead level only varied by a few farm-houses and trees. 



Having overnight secured comfortable lodgings and an informing 

 chat with the head-keeper at the "Talacre Arms," a quiet hostelry 

 near the Hall, early morning found us wending shoreward, furnished 

 with a good foundationary breakfast of true farmer's fare, whilst to 

 recruit the animal waste in the hot sunshine upon the dry and thirstv 

 land about to be traversed, a good supply of new milk was stored in 

 a receptacle, which, when emptied, could be useful in protecting 

 "treasure trove." Our steps were primarily directed to the right, 

 passing down a lane to a small wharf at the end of a straight bank or 

 spit never wholly covered by the tide, but the wheel-marks upon its 

 little beach showed occasional but yet sufficient use to disturb the 

 birds, and nothing was found. A narrow but deep channel separated 

 the extremity of this small promontory from a much more likely sand- 

 bank lying directly opposite, or at right angles and insulated; the 

 water was ebbing, and might by and by have been easily forded, but 

 for this we could not spare time, or probably a few nestings of the 

 oyslercatcher, ringed dotterell or one of the terns might have been 

 noticed. In default of this, the most likely locality, as previously 

 descried from the high ground, was a much larger bank having a level 

 or partially depressed top, whence numerous bird- voices had already 



