WAYSIDE NOTES. 7 
On the 24th we walked from the hotel, the Great Western, to 
the headland on the other side of the town (Towass Head), but 
we did not see very much; one Whimbrel on the sand-hills 
about there, and the first and only Wheatear any of us had seen 
during the whole drive. There were a good many Rock Pipits 
about, mostly with food in their mouths, going to feed their 
young. In the afternoon we went out in a boat under the cliffs 
towards Bedruthan Steps. We saw two Guillemots on the water 
and a good many Herring Gulls on the cliffs; we threw out some 
biscuit from the boat and soon had a crowd of Herring Gulls 
about us; a good many immature birds also made their appear- 
ance amongst the adults, but where they came from we could not 
say; there were certainly none on the rocks or at the breeding- 
places. We also saw one Oystercatcher on the rocks ; his mate 
was probably sitting somewhere near. 
On the 25th, Sunday, we walked in the afternoon to Bed- 
ruthan Steps, over the cliffs, which in places are very fine. At 
one of the steepest and most inaccessible places, a pair of 
Peregrines came at us in a great state of excitement, evidently 
having a nest somewhere close under us, but the cliff was too 
crumbling and dangerous to let us look over for the nest. The 
male bird came at us first, but the female soon jomed him on 
hearing his cry. They kept dashing about close to us for some 
time till we went on our way; they were very noisy all the time. 
Kestrels were not so numerous as at Boscastle ; we only saw one 
pair. There were a good many Cuckoos about; probably the 
Rock Pipits’ nests proved useful to them, the last-named birds, 
as well as Linnets and Stonechats, being common. A great 
many Swifts were breeding in the cliffs. As we came back by a 
short cut, more inland, we saw a flock of immature Herring 
Gulls, feeding in a ploughed field, mostly second and third year 
birds, though some of them may have been a year older; but 
there were no adult breeding birds amongst them. 
On the 26th we left New Quay for Redruth, stopping for 
luncheon at Truro, where we saw the worst, least cared for, and 
I think the dearest museum I ever was in, not even excepting the 
Guernsey Museum (Zool. 1872, p. 2925). The few birds in it 
will soon be lost, if a little more care be not taken of them. 
Amongst others I noted the Spotted Hagle killed at St. Mawgan 
near St. Columb, in November, 1861; and a Hawk Owl, labelled 
