THE ZooLocist—DrEcemsrr, 1875. 4717 
October 14th. Before leaving Moorland for North Devon, I 
remarked a few swallows and martins still flying about after food, 
but the great body seem to have left. 
15th. Found ravens plentiful among the magnificent cliffs at 
Ilfracombe, and on one occasion saw a flock of seven or eight 
flying by the celebrated Tors Walks, where a pair or two may be 
daily seen. It is very curious to watch the singular evolutions 
performed by a pair of ravens when disturbed in their haunts, even 
at this time of the year, but more especially during the nesting- 
season. At such times they will rise croaking above the intruder’s 
head, pass and repass, rising, falling and tumbling almost over in 
the air, as if hit, and, disappearing behind a projecting crag, will 
re-appear from quite a different quarter over the brow of the cliff, 
and continue their manceuvres until the invader has left the spot. 
Kestrels, too, were numerous in the same locality, and rock larks 
abundant along the coast. Among the sea birds I observed some 
herring gulls, two gannets and a few shags. Several phalaropes, 
I was told, had also been seen during a recent gale. Ata poulterer’s 
shop in Ilfracombe there was a rather curious variety of the teal, 
which had a pure white ring round its neck, very similar to that 
on the neck of the common wild mallard. 
22nd. Walked with a friend to the top of the Great Hangman, 
a lofty bluff or headland rising a thousand feet above the sea, on 
the coast, about seven miles from Ilfracombe. On our gaining 
the summit of this great hill I at once caught sight of a dotterel 
(Charadrius morinellus), which almost immediately took wing, 
uttering a rather low or feeble note, sounding to me something 
between that of the purre and ringed plover. It did not, however, 
fly far, but alighted again within a short distance, giving me a good 
opportunity of examining it with my glass, noting its actions, and 
making several sketches of its attitudes. It afterwards became very 
tame, moving slowly about, now and then stopping suddenly to look 
round, listen, or pick up something, and finally allowing my approach 
to within fifteen yards. It was altogether prettily marked, and the 
white band above the eye was very conspicuous. The top of 
Great Hangman has a rather wild aspect, reminding one of Dart- 
moor, being covered with stones, heath and low gorse, and is, 
I should think, just the place where dotterels might be found on 
their first arrival in spring. The view from it is truly magnificent ; 
but the sight of the dotterel alone (the first I had ever met with in 
SECOND SERIES—VOL, X. 3M 
