3394 The Zoologist — February, 1873. 



Snipes, Herring Gulls, ^'c— Sept, 23. Going by the rivers Teign 

 and Exe, on my way into Somersetshire, observed an immense 

 number of blackheaded and herring gulls on the mud-banks, which 

 took no notice of the passing train, though within forty yards of it. 

 When visiting the flat marshy moor near Bridgwater noticed 

 kestrels to be very plentiful, attracted no doubt by a kind of 

 short-tailed mouse, or vole, which abounds in that locality. On 

 examining the stomach of one which had been shot, I found 

 it to be perfectly crammed with their remains. These kestrels 

 are much persecuted by crows, which are also plentiful in the 

 neighbourhood. Notwithstanding the good this hawk must do 

 to the farmers, yet I am sorry to say it is killed whenever an oppor- 

 tunity offiers. Was told that early in August the willow-beds on 

 these marshes were visited by an unusually large flight of snipes, 

 which, however, remained for a day or two only. Whilst writing 

 about snipes, I may mention a curious circumstance which was ob- 

 served by a friend of mine when snipe-shooting in Devonshire a few 

 years ago. On rising one of these birds he observed that it flew in 

 a most extraordinary manner ; marking it down, he again raised and 

 shot it, when to his great surprise he found that a large earthworm, 

 which it must have been in the act of swallowing, had coiled three- 

 fourths of its length round the bird's neck, reminding him much of 

 the heron and eel in Yarrell's vignette. October 5. — Observed 

 swallows for the last time near Bridgwater. Saw several king- 

 fishers on the banks of the canal between that place and Taunlon. 



A Visit to Dozmare Pool. — Oct. 6. Heard wood larks singing 

 beautifully in Cornwall. Went with some friends to a rather cele- 

 brated spot called " Dozmare Pool" on the Cornish moors, in the 

 parish of St. Neot, and not far from the Bodmin road, where 

 I expected to see some birds, but was rather disappointed: how- 

 ever, some people who lived near the place informed me that 

 numbers of ducks, geese, vand even swans were seen there in the 

 winter, and that there was some good snipe-shooting to be bad in 

 the neighbourhood, which, from the appearance of the locality, 

 I fully believe. Dozmare Pool is about a mile in circumference, 

 and the formation of such a body of water on high ground is con- 

 sidered singular and curious. There is a popular legend attached 

 to this pool, which is this: — That a person named Tregeagle, rich 

 and powerful, but very wicked, guilty of murder and other heinous 

 crimes, lived near this place, and that after his death his spirit 



