4254 The Zoologist — December, 1874. 



18th. Inside the pretty little church in the village of Sheepstor, 

 on Dartmoor, I saw an elegant gray wagtail flitting about on the 

 beams of the ceiling, every now and then descending to the pews, 

 along the tops of which it would swiftly run or start off on wing 

 after a passing fly. I have sometimes seen swallows and a few 

 other small birds in churches, but never before a gray wagtail : the 

 species is not uncommon on the trout-streams close by. The pied 

 wagtail, with (I believe) the titlark, constantly roosts on board boats 

 moored in our harbours for the night. 



19th. There were some bartailed godwits in the market. A white 

 sparrow was killed to-day. Many kingfishers have lately fallen 

 victims to the gun, I am sorry to say: one of these beautiful birds, 

 although in fine plumage, was the smallest specimen I have ever 

 seen. Several cormorants have lately been killed, but I have as 

 yet seen no shags, which do not generally make their appearance in 

 our harbours before the beginning of the usual November gales. 



October. 



6th. In the Taunton Museum the curator showed me two young 

 gray phalaropes, in the flesh, which had been killed a day or two 

 before at Stoke St. Gregory, six or seven miles distant: he also 

 called my attention to a kite obtained in June last, and at first 

 recorded in the ' Field' under the name of the "swallow-tailed kite." 



7th. Went from Barnstaple to Instow by train, and from thence 

 walked to Northam Burrows, to have a look at the celebrated Pebble 

 Ridge and Westward Ho, returning by Bideford. On my way, by 

 the side of the river, from Barnstaple to Instow I remarked a great 

 many curlews and blacklieaded gulls, some godwits, herons, king- 

 fishers, and two green sandpipers, which latter, on being disturbed 

 by the noise of the passing train, rose from a pool under the lee of 

 a small hedge of tamarisk bushes : when on the wing their dark 

 backs and white rumps were very conspicuous. On Northara 

 Burrows there were a great many flocks of starlings, ringed dotterels, 

 and some pied wagtails. 



8th. Went by train to Morthoe station, and then walked to the 

 village on the coast, nearly opposite Lundy Island. The Cornish 

 chough I was informed was not uncommon in that locality, and in 

 a ramble along the clifis towards Mort Point I observed a few of 

 them, just near enough to recognise the species, and heard the cry 

 of many more, which was something like that of the jackdaw, but 



