﻿86 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  it 
  nearly 
  as 
  far 
  west 
  as 
  Porlock. 
  The 
  rushy 
  ditches 
  or 
  " 
  rhines 
  " 
  

   of 
  the 
  Somerset 
  Level, 
  and 
  the 
  ballast-pits 
  by 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Western 
  Railway 
  which 
  crosses 
  it, 
  are 
  much 
  frequented 
  by 
  

   Reed- 
  and 
  Sedge-Warblers. 
  Even 
  the 
  rare 
  Marsh 
  -Warbler, 
  as 
  

   is 
  now 
  well 
  known, 
  is 
  a 
  frequent 
  summer 
  visitor 
  to 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   county, 
  especially 
  to 
  the 
  neighbourhoods 
  of 
  Bath, 
  Glastonbmw, 
  

   and 
  Taunton. 
  I 
  feel 
  pretty 
  confident 
  that 
  careful 
  search 
  in 
  

   suitable 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  low-lying 
  lands 
  near 
  the 
  coast 
  would 
  be 
  

   rewarded 
  by 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  fresh 
  breeding 
  haunts 
  of 
  this 
  rare 
  

   species. 
  The 
  nest 
  has 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  at 
  least 
  been 
  taken 
  near 
  

   Clevedon. 
  The 
  Dipper 
  and 
  Grey 
  Wagtail 
  breed 
  plentifully 
  by 
  

   the 
  clear 
  Trout-streams 
  in 
  the 
  Exmoor 
  district, 
  while 
  the 
  White 
  

   Wagtail 
  (M. 
  alba) 
  occurs 
  in 
  small 
  numbers 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  in 
  

   April 
  and 
  again 
  in 
  autumn, 
  but 
  does 
  not 
  make 
  a 
  long 
  stay. 
  The 
  

   Rock-Pipit, 
  a 
  characteristic 
  shore-bird, 
  is 
  resident 
  in 
  all 
  suitable 
  

   localities. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  Red-backed 
  Shrike 
  in 
  summer 
  in 
  

   widely 
  separated 
  districts 
  near 
  the 
  coast, 
  and 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  well 
  

   known 
  in 
  the 
  county, 
  visiting 
  regularly 
  certain 
  favourite 
  haunts 
  

   year 
  after 
  year 
  ; 
  and 
  occasionally 
  the 
  Pied 
  Flycatcher 
  may 
  be 
  

   seen, 
  chiefly 
  as 
  a 
  passing 
  migrant. 
  This 
  species 
  has, 
  however, 
  

   quite 
  recently 
  been 
  found 
  nesting 
  near 
  Bristol, 
  and 
  a 
  pair 
  or 
  two 
  

   probably 
  breed 
  on 
  the 
  wooded 
  banks 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  in 
  

   the 
  west, 
  where 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  noticed 
  in 
  the 
  summer 
  months. 
  

  

  Parties 
  of 
  Finches 
  and 
  Buntings, 
  sometimes 
  of 
  considerable 
  

   size, 
  may 
  be 
  seen 
  near 
  the 
  coast 
  in 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter, 
  searching 
  

   for 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  weeds 
  among 
  the 
  sandhills 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  out- 
  

   marshes. 
  These 
  flocks 
  usually 
  consist 
  of 
  Greenfinches, 
  Chaf- 
  

   finches, 
  Linnets, 
  and 
  Yellowhammers, 
  though 
  Goldfinches 
  and 
  

   Bramblings 
  are 
  not 
  unfrequently 
  to 
  be 
  met 
  with, 
  and 
  even 
  Twites 
  

   have 
  occurred. 
  A 
  cold 
  spell 
  of 
  weather 
  is 
  pretty 
  sure 
  to 
  bring 
  

   in 
  small 
  parties 
  of 
  Snow-Buntings, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  these 
  

   charming 
  birds 
  and 
  listened 
  to 
  their 
  tinkling 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  frozen 
  

   foreshore 
  near 
  Burnham. 
  The 
  Lesser 
  Redpoll 
  has 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  

   been 
  found 
  breeding 
  rather 
  plentifully 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  Somerset 
  

   (cf. 
  Zool. 
  1902, 
  p. 
  66), 
  but 
  the 
  parties 
  seen 
  in 
  winter 
  prefer 
  the 
  

   alders 
  by 
  the 
  streams 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  peat-moors 
  to 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   the 
  coast. 
  Siskins 
  also 
  are 
  not 
  uncommon 
  winter 
  visitors 
  to 
  

   similar 
  haunts. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  Cirl-Bunting 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  

   uncommon 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  near 
  Weston-super-Mare, 
  and 
  

  

  

  