NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL. 115 
were obtained in this neighbourhood. An ornithological friend, 
the Rev. G. Robinson, writes me from Ireland that his son had 
killed some Curlew Sandpipers on Lough Neagh, a new Irish 
locality for this species. 
Early in December the weather was exceedingly severe, and 
the birds suffered greatly. The following species were brought 
in to the bird-preservers :—Two Merlins, a Grey Plover, several 
Razorbills, a Cormorant, and two Northern Divers, making 
altogether eight of these last-named birds brought in since the 
commencement of November; also a Sclavonian Grebe, a species 
which has become scarce of late years, but was formerly often 
seen in our bays and estuaries during severe weather. It varies 
much in size, some specimens being half as large again as others, 
and the upper plumage of the larger birds is generally much 
darker. During the early part of the month our markets were 
filled with wildfowl, among which were Woodcocks and Snipes in 
great profusion, Redshanks, Curlews, Mallards, Widgeon, Teal, 
Shovellers, Pochards, Scaup and Tufted Ducks, both young and 
adult, but I did not see a single Sheldrake or a Grey Goose of 
any kind. On the 18th, however, a female Egyptian Goose was 
shot and sent up from Cornwall to be preserved, and the next 
day another, I believe a male; both were fine birds, neither of them 
showing the slightest trace of having been in confinement. On 
the 18th there was a Corn Crake, in very poor condition, in the 
market. Water Rails were exceedingly plentiful, but Moorhens 
and Coots scarce. Four Oystercatchers were killed on the coast, 
and I found the stomach of everyone full of limpets. The severe 
weather had great effect on the Curlews, numbers of these usually 
wild birds having been shot. Some which were taken alive 
I bought and restored to liberty. Kingfishers also suffered greatly. 
Numbers of Herons and a Bittern were killed, the last-named 
I believe in Cornwall; its stomach, which I examined, contained 
nothing but the fur of water rats and mice, rolled up in small, 
hard, oblong pellets. 
During December the gardens, even in the middle of the town, 
were crowded with Blackbirds, Thrushes, Redwings, Starlings, and 
even Fieldfares, which were regularly fed by many kind-hearted 
people. Hundreds of Blackheaded Gulls were to be seen daily 
swimming and dipping in the water close under our quays and 
wharves, some of them actually settling on the sheds, apparently 
