﻿88 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  inland, 
  where 
  in 
  some 
  localities 
  they 
  are 
  almost 
  abundant. 
  Books 
  

   are 
  very 
  fond 
  of 
  visiting 
  the 
  sea-shore 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  food, 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter 
  large 
  parties 
  of 
  Sky-Larks 
  frequent 
  the 
  

   out-marshes 
  and] 
  the 
  sands, 
  where 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  find 
  much 
  to 
  

   their 
  taste 
  among 
  the 
  debris 
  washed 
  up 
  by 
  the 
  tides. 
  As 
  far 
  as 
  

   my 
  own 
  experience 
  goes, 
  the 
  Wood-Lark 
  is 
  a 
  rare 
  bird 
  in 
  

   Somerset. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  near 
  Porlock 
  

   and 
  Oare, 
  but 
  nowhere 
  else. 
  Doubtless 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  species 
  which 
  

   is 
  often 
  overlooked. 
  

  

  The 
  Wryneck 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  local 
  bird, 
  but 
  not 
  uncommon 
  in 
  

   some 
  places, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  woods 
  near 
  the 
  sea 
  the 
  three 
  Wood- 
  

   peckers 
  and 
  the 
  Nightjar 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  breeding. 
  The 
  Tawny 
  

   Owl 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  Long- 
  eared 
  Owls 
  also 
  breed 
  in 
  thick 
  plantations, 
  

   and 
  the 
  Short-eared 
  Owl 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter 
  on 
  the 
  

   central 
  level. 
  In 
  winter 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  seen 
  the 
  Kingfisher 
  on 
  the 
  

   sea-coast, 
  and 
  they 
  breed 
  in 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  rhines." 
  

  

  In 
  times 
  past 
  the 
  three 
  Harriers 
  bred 
  on 
  Exmoor, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  

   Somerset 
  levels, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  if 
  any 
  have 
  done 
  so 
  during 
  the 
  

   last 
  twenty 
  3 
  r 
  ears. 
  It 
  is 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  shepherds 
  on 
  Exmoor 
  used 
  

   to 
  destroy 
  all 
  the 
  nests 
  they 
  found 
  by 
  stamping 
  upon 
  the 
  eggs 
  ! 
  

   Harriers 
  are 
  still 
  occasionally 
  seen 
  in 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  still 
  two 
  eyries 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  Buzzard 
  upon 
  tfie 
  

   coast, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  pairs 
  nest 
  inland 
  in 
  the 
  west. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  the 
  

   young 
  birds 
  in 
  the 
  nest, 
  and 
  have 
  frequently 
  (while 
  riding 
  or 
  

   walking 
  on 
  Exmoor) 
  watched 
  the 
  old 
  ones 
  soaring 
  overhead, 
  and 
  

   uttering 
  their 
  plaintive 
  mewing 
  cries. 
  The 
  Kite, 
  once 
  a 
  resident 
  

   in 
  the 
  west, 
  is 
  now 
  a 
  bird 
  of 
  the 
  past. 
  I 
  have 
  good 
  evidence 
  

   that 
  a 
  pair 
  nested 
  near 
  the 
  Eiver 
  Barle 
  below 
  Withypool 
  about 
  

   the 
  year 
  1850. 
  Only 
  one 
  eyrie 
  of 
  the 
  Peregrine 
  Falcon 
  is 
  known 
  

   to 
  me 
  within 
  the 
  county 
  boundary, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  inhabited 
  yearly, 
  

   and 
  birds 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  are 
  not 
  unfrequently 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  

   in 
  autumn 
  and 
  winter. 
  The 
  Merlin 
  haunts 
  Exmoor, 
  where 
  

   possibly 
  a 
  pair 
  or 
  two 
  breed, 
  but 
  the 
  Hobby 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  rare 
  

   summer 
  visitor 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  woods. 
  The 
  Kestrel 
  nests 
  

   on 
  the 
  sea-cliffs, 
  particularly 
  in 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  during 
  a 
  ramble 
  I 
  

   have 
  found 
  three 
  pairs 
  in 
  close 
  proximity. 
  

  

  The 
  Cormorant, 
  Shag, 
  and 
  Gannet 
  are 
  chiefly 
  wanderers 
  to 
  

   the 
  Somerset 
  coast, 
  but 
  the 
  first 
  mentioned 
  bird 
  is 
  not 
  uncom- 
  

   monly 
  seen, 
  and 
  haunts 
  the 
  Steep 
  Holm, 
  an 
  island 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  