﻿82 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  and 
  Mathew, 
  the 
  authors 
  have 
  given 
  a 
  very 
  comprehensive 
  ac- 
  

   count 
  of 
  the 
  avifauna 
  of 
  the 
  south-western 
  peninsula 
  of 
  England. 
  

   This 
  work, 
  however, 
  does 
  not 
  claim 
  to 
  deal 
  with 
  the 
  south 
  coast 
  

   of 
  Wales, 
  and 
  it 
  seems 
  likely 
  that 
  this 
  coast 
  has 
  an 
  important 
  

   influence 
  on 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  birds 
  when 
  passing 
  across 
  central 
  

   England 
  on 
  their 
  journey 
  to 
  Ireland. 
  

  

  In 
  drawing 
  up 
  the 
  following 
  sketch 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  

   the 
  Somerset 
  coast, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  my 
  intention 
  to 
  give 
  just 
  a 
  small 
  

   contribution 
  to 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  avifauna 
  of 
  the 
  Bristol 
  

   Channel 
  district. 
  I 
  have 
  rambled 
  at 
  all 
  seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  

   along 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Somerset 
  coast-line, 
  and 
  with 
  parts 
  

   of 
  it, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhoods 
  of 
  Weston-super-Mare 
  and 
  

   Burnham, 
  I 
  am 
  very 
  familiar. 
  These 
  notes 
  are 
  chiefly 
  from 
  

   personal 
  observation 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  six 
  years 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  

   of 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  prism 
  binoculars, 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  also 
  taken 
  account 
  of 
  

   notes 
  and 
  correspondence 
  from 
  various 
  friends 
  and 
  capable 
  

   ornithologists, 
  and 
  have 
  paid 
  some 
  heed 
  to 
  information 
  given 
  by 
  

   local 
  fishermen 
  and 
  gunners, 
  a 
  class 
  of 
  men 
  who, 
  with 
  a 
  little 
  

   more 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species, 
  could 
  give 
  very 
  valuable 
  

   help. 
  In 
  the 
  main, 
  then, 
  this 
  sketch 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  the 
  

   result 
  of 
  personal 
  field 
  work 
  during 
  those 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  six 
  

   years 
  when 
  I 
  had 
  the 
  opportunity 
  or 
  the 
  leisure 
  to 
  indulge 
  in 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  seems 
  expedient 
  here 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  general 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  geography 
  

   of 
  this 
  coast 
  district. 
  The 
  Somerset 
  coast-line 
  from 
  the 
  mouth 
  

   of 
  the 
  Paver 
  Avon 
  at 
  Bristol 
  to 
  Glenthorne, 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  

   west 
  of 
  Porlock 
  Bay, 
  is 
  some 
  seventy 
  miles 
  in 
  extent, 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   sents 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  natural 
  features 
  which 
  affect 
  the 
  distribution 
  

   of 
  the 
  birds 
  which 
  inhabit 
  it. 
  Beginning 
  in 
  the 
  north, 
  we 
  find 
  

   the 
  flat 
  land 
  and 
  the 
  mud-reaches 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Avon 
  soon 
  

   giving 
  place 
  to 
  a 
  steep 
  but 
  not 
  very 
  lofty 
  face 
  of 
  cliff 
  from 
  Portis- 
  

   head 
  to 
  Clevedon 
  ; 
  thence 
  southwards 
  for 
  four 
  miles, 
  to 
  the 
  rocky 
  

   headland 
  known 
  as 
  Swallow 
  Point, 
  we 
  find 
  extensive 
  mud- 
  flats 
  

   bordering 
  a 
  low 
  marshy 
  coast, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  kept 
  back 
  

   by 
  artificial 
  embankments. 
  From 
  Swallow 
  Point 
  the 
  coast 
  takes 
  

   two 
  bold 
  sweeps, 
  forming 
  Sand 
  Bay 
  and 
  Weston 
  Bay, 
  bounded 
  

   respectively 
  on 
  their 
  southern 
  sides 
  by 
  those 
  outlying 
  spurs 
  of 
  

   the 
  Mendips 
  known 
  as 
  Worlebury 
  Camp 
  and 
  Brean 
  Down. 
  In 
  

   each 
  of 
  these 
  bays 
  very 
  extensive 
  mud-flats 
  are 
  laid 
  bare 
  at 
  low 
  

   tide, 
  the 
  water 
  ebbing 
  to 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  over 
  a 
  mile, 
  and 
  each 
  

  

  