4250 The Zoologist — December, 1874. 



or else the shores of the Taw and Tonidge, which, in former years 

 were frequented by great numbers of birds, have become unsuited 

 to them on account of so much of the fore-shores having been 

 reclaimed and enclosed. 



Oystercaicher. — Next to the curlew this was by far the most 

 abundant species, and I noticed many large flocks of them. At 

 high tide several flocks assembled together, and were to be found 

 on the " black rocks," close to the water's edge, and could then 

 often be easily approached under cover of a pebbly ridge or the 

 neighbouring sand-hills, but at low water they adjourned to the 

 "Crow" or the rocks in the vicinity of the lighthouse on Braunton 

 Burrows, and at this time were with difficulty to be got within 

 range of. Whilst feeding they keep up an incessant whistling, and 

 seem to be most uneasy in their movements, as they constantly fly 

 froni, place to place, and never seem to care to settle for more than 

 a few minutes in one spot. They swim with the greatest agility, 

 and a winged bird falling by the water's edge, immediately takes 

 to that element, and generally manages to get far out of reach 

 before the sportsman can arrive. They are by no means to be 

 despised when nicely cooked, and to my taste they almost equal a 

 wigeon. 



Curlew. — These birds were plentiful but extremely wild, and 

 were a great nuisance, as it was quite out of the question attempting 

 to get near any other birds amongst which they might happen to 

 be feeding, as, taking alarm long before one was in shot, they rose 

 with such vociferous cries that the tamest birds were frightened 

 and at once took wing. I only killed one, which was a fine 

 bird, fat and in capital condition. One of our Inslow boatmen 

 ("Captain" Fishley by name, and a well-known character) recom- 

 mends these biids to be cooked with a couple of large onions 

 placed inside them ; he says they are then " beautiful," but as 

 1 have not tried the experiment I cannot corroborate his statement. 

 In the neighbourhood of Bantry Bay, some years since, during the 

 latter part of July or beginning of August, I one day shot four or 

 five young curlews in a boggy heathery spot some distance from 

 the sea, and these when cooked were excellent, and I have no 

 doubt had never fed alongshore. On one occasion, when I was 

 watching some of these birds feeding on the kelp-covered rocks, 

 I observed one of them walking by the margin of a moderate-sized 

 pool, and, after searching about for a little while, il waded into the 



