NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL. 493 
marvellous, and entitles them fully to the name “ Water Witch.” 
They are very shy, but I once surprised one asleep on a flat stone, 
us much to my astonishment as to the bird’s. All the specimens 
I saw were in immature plumage, wanting the black bar on the 
bill and the black throat-patch. 
Mergulus alle, Little Auk; Sea Dove.—Mr. Hurdis says, “ One 
of these birds was captured alive on the 28th January, 1850, by a 
servant of the Rev. J. U. Campbell at Ireland Island. It was in 
company with four or five others on a piece of grass-land near that 
gentleman’s house. Unfortunately this specimen was destroyed by 
a pig before I had an opportunity of seeing it. My information 
was obtained from Mr. Campbell himself, who had this bird in his 
possession.” 
—— 5 — — 
ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL. 
By Joun GaAtcoMBE. 
VisitINc Wembury again on June 12th I found the young Gulls 
~ much grown, and observed many of the old ones searching for food 
in a ploughed field adjoining the cliffs. Among the various marine 
animals with which the young Gulls are fed, I think small cuttle- 
fish must form a portion, as I have remarked the so-called back 
bones, or internal shells, of those creatures lying near the nests. 
The Peregrines I am sorry to say appear to have entirely left the 
locality. On the 18th Cuckoos were very plentiful on the borders 
of Dartmoor, and [ noticed a young one, perched on an old wall, 
being fed by a Pied Wagtail. A Turtle Dove has just been 
brought to a Stonehouse bird-stuffer; and | mention this as the 
species is rarely met with in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. 
Some years ago the Collared Turtle, Turtur risortus, was occa- 
sionally killed by our gamekeepers, apparently in a wild state, and 
sent to be preserved for the British species; indeed, it was said to 
breed in some of our large woods and plantations; but I have 
neither seen nor heard of the capture of a specimen since. Some 
of our bird-stuffers, too, believed that these birds were natives, and 
seemed astonished on being told the contrary. But of course all 
the specimens must, in the first place, have escaped from 
confinement. 
When visiting the banks of the River Lyd, on June 18th, I was 
pleased to see several young Water Ouzels making short flights 
