The Zoologist— DeciiMBer, 1874. 4253 



Spotted Rail. — I saw two of these birds one day by the margin 

 of a sedgy ditch in the Biaunton Marshes, and, from the number 

 of foot-prints in the soft mud, should say they are numerous in this 

 locality. 



Gervase F. Mathew. 



H.M.S. ' Britannia,' Dartmouth, 

 October 8, 1874. 



Ornithological Notes from Devonshire, Cornwall, S^c. 

 By John Gatcombe, Esq. 



(Continued from S. S. 4229). 



September, 1874. 



1st. There was on the mud-flats of the Laira a small party of 

 blackheaded gulls, the first I had seen since their return from their 

 breeding quarters; also nine herons and a great many ringed plovers 

 and dunlins. It is very interesting to observe the last two species 

 rise together in several flocks — when the flowing tide has nearly 

 covered the flats on which they had been feeding — and make their 

 way to the Plymouth Breakwater and Rennie's Rocks, near the 

 Mewstone, where they rest until the water begins to recede, 

 when they return in the same manner to the estuaries and tidal 

 rivers, seeming to know exactly the time when the surface of the 

 mud will begin to reappear. At high tide during the winter 

 thousands of these birds may be seen resting on the Breakwater, 

 and in the autumn accompanied by turnstones, knots and curlew 

 sandpipers, with sometimes a sprinkling of sanderlings. This 

 morning a very large female peregrine falcon was brought for 

 preservation to Mr. Peacock, animal preserver, Plymouth. 



4th. Heard many whimbrels flying over the town at night. 

 10th. Another peregrine, a very small adult male, was brought to 

 a Stonehouse bird-stufl'er ; also a young turtle dove, killed in the 

 vicinity of Mount Edgcumbe. 



11th. On my way to Liflon, Devon, I observed several whinchats 

 on the borders of the moor. The gamekeeper at Liftou told me 

 that sparrowhawks were still very numerous in the plantations of 

 that neighbourhood, and that he had lately killed as many as six 

 in one evening. There are now a great number of golden plovers 

 in our markets, some of them still showing a large amount of black 

 on their breasts; landrails are also plentiful. 



SECOND SERIES — VOL. IX. 3 M 



