The Zoologist — January, 1874. 3825 



of Somerset. Another was seen at the same time, and was probably 

 the large hawk which I noted a few weeks later during an evening 

 walk on the hills. 



Late stay of Swifts. — All the hirnndines were late in arriving in 

 this neighbourhood last spring, and some of them were equally late 

 in their departure in the autumn. The 10th of August is the 

 average date for swifts to leave us, but this year I observed several 

 as late as the 5th of September. Martins were flying about in the 

 village as recently as November 26th, On the 23rd of November 

 I saw many on the coast of North Devon, the weather at the time 

 being very cold, with a keen east wind. 



Early Woodcock. — In the beginning of October 1 was shooting 

 in the centre of Devonshire under the northern slopes of Dartmoor. 

 We flushed and bagged a very fine woodcock on the 4th of October, 

 the earliest date on which I have seen one. In this part of the 

 country wood larks were very numerous, seeming quite to take the 

 place of the sky lark, which was scarce by comparison. I noted 

 little parties in almost every field. Goldfinches were also plentiful, 

 and this pretty little finch in many parts of the kingdom has 

 almost disappeared. 



Buffon^s Skua. — About the middle of October an immature 

 specimen of Buffon's skua was obtained by Mr. Haddon, watch- 

 maker, of Taunton. Mr. Haddon has a collection of British birds, 

 all of his own shooting, and is notorious for the good luck which 

 attends him whenever he takes gun in hand. He shot the Buffon's 

 skua on the north coast of the county, a little to the west of 

 Bridgwater. 



Abundance of Snipe and Wild-fowl. — Towards the middle of 

 November I visited the north coast of Devonshire for a few days, 

 and, the wind being in the east, there were then a number of snipe 

 and wild-fowl in the marshes. Directly the wind shifted they were 

 all off" again ; the snipe probably to the hills. When wild-fowl rise 

 alarmed from a pool out of range it is always advisable to crouch 

 immediately, as the birds, after taking a few casts, will very often 

 return to the pool from which they were started, and, if they do 

 not settle quietly again, will very likely fly low overhead, aff'ording 

 a good shot. I twice proved the advantage of these tactics on my 

 late visit to the coast, the first time dropping a shoveller duck out 

 of a flock of ducks which had risen wild out of distance, but 

 which, after a few circles in the air, flew close to me in an 



