The Zoologist — April, 1874. 3945 



ft 



of which had already acquired the dark head of the breeding season. 

 I also met with a few ravens on the coast. 



27th. Was shown a fine specimen of the spotted redshank, which 

 had been lately killed in the estuary at the mouth of the river 

 Erme. It was in perfect winter plumage, and is a rare bird in 

 Devonshire. 



John Gatcombe. 

 8, Lower Durnford Street, Stonehouse, Plymouth, 

 March 11, 1874. 



Remarks on Birds seen during a TJiree Weeks' Tour i7i Brittany. 

 By Captain Henry Hadfield. 



Gannet, Redthroated Diver and Guillemot. — On approaching 

 the French coast, after passing Jersey, a few gannets were observed 

 in the distance, and redthroated divers and guillemots, disturbed 

 at their morning's repast, were constantly passing and repassing, 

 increasing in numbers as the harbour of St. Malo was neared. 



Jay. — During my rambles on shore I was agreeably surprised to 

 find birds still so numerous, notwithstanding all that has been said 

 and written ; for instance, that beautiful bird, the jay, was not only 

 found in every wood and copse, but was seen flitting from pollard 

 to pollard by the roadside. 



Magpie. — The magpie is almost, if not quite, as numerous as 

 the jay ; less wary, too, allowing one, gun in hand and dog at heel, 

 to approach within some forty or fifty yards ; and on one occasion, 

 when sauntering about the town of Lannion, a pair of magpies 

 alighted close to me, aud began to search for the small fish and fry 

 falling from the nets hung up to dry on the public esplanade 

 skirting a tidal basin. Seeing them so tame, I inquired whether 

 they belonged to any one, but it appeared not, and their perfect state 

 of plumage went far to prove it. One day, when walking through 

 a densely wooded district, I observed towards sunset numbers of 

 magpies passing overhead, sometimes singly, but more frequently 

 in strings or irregular flocks, all flying in the same direction to their 

 roosting quarters. 



Hooded Crow. — The hooded crow was found a common though 

 not a very numerous species. 



Rook. — Rooks were not so plentiful as with us, nor did I observe 

 a single large flock or a rookery. 



