Tue ZooLocist—May, 1872. 3049 
Ornithological Notes made in the neighbourhood of Plymouth 
during March, 1872. By JouHn Gatcomsg, Esq. 
Herons and Wagtails.—March 3. Observed some old herons in 
Weston Mills Lake, apparently in full breeding plumage, and 
several pied wagtails in perfect summer dress, with throats and 
backs of a fine jet black; also a few others which should be the 
true Motacilla alba, with throats of a fine black, but backs of a 
pure light gray. Mr. Bolitho, a bird-preserver of Plymouth, who 
dissected several wagtails with black backs some years ago, on 
purpose to ascertain their sex, said that he found some of them 
females, and quite as dark as the males; the only difference between 
them was that the females were the shorter birds. 
Kestrel, Water Ouzel, §c.—March 6th. Went to Trowlsworthy 
Rabbit-warren and “ Tor” on Dartmoor, and observed the following 
birds :—near the Dewerstone Rock some kestrels poised high in the 
air, apparently motionless, although the wind was blowing almost a 
gale from the east; many water ouzels and gray wagtails on the 
rocks and stones in the river Cad; several great, cole, blue and 
longtailed tits in the woods and brakes; a few blackheaded 
buntings on the marshy parts of the moor, and in Trowlsworthy 
Warren a fine male wheatear in perfect breeding plumage: this is 
about the earliest date on which I have ever recorded the appear- 
ance of this species in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. I also saw 
a flock of fieldfares flying across the moor. 
Gulls, Razorbills and Rooks.—March 8. Wind west, blowing 
rather hard. Many great blackbacked, herring and common gulls 
in the harbour, but the kittiwakes seem to have left us, and I have 
not seen any razorbills since the end of February; but a friend told 
me that a week or two ago he counted over fifty razorbills which 
had been washed on shore in a very small bay on the coast of 
Cornwall. Another friend also told me that on two occasions, 
when visiting the neighbourhood of Sennen Cove, Cornwall, he 
had observed a large quantity of rooks washed up on the beach; 
and on asking some sailors if they could account for the cause of 
this, they told him that they supposed the birds got blown off the 
land sometimes in very heavy weather, and not being able to 
return were drowned,—or in crossing the sea from one place to 
another were caught in thick weather and lost. Now this certainly 
