﻿434 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  four 
  pairs, 
  have 
  once 
  more 
  been 
  plundered. 
  The 
  writer 
  would 
  ask 
  

   others 
  to 
  join 
  him 
  in 
  strongly 
  appealing 
  to 
  all 
  true 
  naturalists 
  to 
  

   refrain 
  from 
  acquiring 
  British-taken 
  eggs 
  of 
  any 
  species 
  which 
  is 
  

   within 
  measurable 
  distance 
  of 
  extinction 
  in 
  these 
  islands. 
  — 
  J. 
  H. 
  

   Salter 
  (University 
  College, 
  Aberystwyth). 
  

  

  Shore-Birds 
  at 
  Burnham, 
  Somerset. 
  — 
  While 
  spending 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  

   at 
  Burnham, 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  last 
  September, 
  I 
  usually 
  took 
  a 
  stroll 
  on 
  

   the 
  sands 
  before 
  breakfast, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  watch 
  the 
  wading 
  birds 
  which 
  

   frequent 
  the 
  large 
  mud-flats 
  at 
  the 
  estuaries 
  of 
  the 
  Rivers 
  Brue 
  and 
  

   Parrett. 
  A 
  little 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  Burnham, 
  and 
  nearly 
  three 
  miles 
  

   from 
  the 
  sand-hills, 
  lies 
  an 
  extensive 
  bank 
  called 
  the 
  Gore 
  Sand, 
  which 
  

   is 
  only 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  highest 
  tides. 
  At 
  high 
  water 
  this 
  bank 
  is 
  an 
  

   island, 
  and 
  affords 
  a 
  safe 
  resting-place 
  for 
  thousands 
  of 
  birds 
  while 
  

   their 
  feeding-grounds 
  on 
  the 
  mud-fiats 
  are 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  tide. 
  Soon 
  

   after 
  7 
  a.m., 
  on 
  Sept. 
  24th, 
  when 
  the 
  water 
  had 
  just 
  begun 
  to 
  ebb, 
  I 
  

   stationed 
  myself 
  on 
  a 
  high 
  sand-hill, 
  armed 
  with 
  prism 
  binoculars 
  of 
  

   twelve 
  diameters 
  magnifying 
  power. 
  The 
  rising 
  sun 
  at 
  my 
  back 
  was 
  

   shining 
  directly 
  over 
  the 
  fast 
  -appearing 
  mud-flats, 
  and 
  lit 
  up 
  brilliantly 
  

   the 
  ridge 
  of 
  the 
  Gore 
  Sand. 
  Even 
  at 
  that 
  long 
  range 
  my 
  powerful 
  

   glasses 
  enabled 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  bright 
  light 
  to 
  identify 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  sea-fowl 
  

   which 
  were 
  crowded 
  together 
  on 
  the 
  bank. 
  A 
  dazzling 
  white 
  line 
  of 
  

   many 
  thousands 
  of 
  Gulls 
  stretched 
  across 
  the 
  ridge, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  well- 
  

   known 
  cries 
  which 
  came 
  to 
  me 
  over 
  the 
  water, 
  I 
  should 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  

   majority 
  belonged 
  to 
  the 
  black-headed 
  species. 
  Here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  very 
  

   large 
  Gull 
  with 
  deep 
  black 
  back, 
  probably 
  Lams 
  marinus, 
  would 
  show 
  

   up 
  conspicuously 
  among 
  the 
  smaller 
  species. 
  A 
  crowded 
  group 
  of 
  

   many 
  hundreds 
  of 
  Curlews 
  were 
  huddled 
  together 
  near 
  the 
  Gulls, 
  and 
  

   their 
  shrill 
  wailing 
  cries 
  were 
  constantly 
  to 
  be 
  heard. 
  About 
  one 
  

   hundred 
  Sheld-Ducks 
  were 
  also 
  resting 
  on 
  the 
  ridge, 
  and 
  these 
  seemed 
  

   to 
  be 
  anxious 
  to 
  commence 
  feeding, 
  as 
  many 
  were 
  continually 
  rising 
  

   and 
  flying 
  round 
  with 
  that 
  buoyant 
  flight 
  of 
  theirs, 
  less 
  laboured 
  than 
  

   that 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  Duck 
  species. 
  A 
  bunch 
  of 
  smaller 
  black 
  and 
  

   white 
  birds 
  were 
  probably 
  Oystercatchers, 
  but 
  the 
  range 
  was 
  too 
  far 
  

   for 
  my 
  glass 
  ; 
  there 
  could 
  be 
  no 
  mistake, 
  however, 
  in 
  identifying 
  those 
  

   nine 
  tall 
  grey 
  statues 
  as 
  watchful 
  Herons. 
  Ever 
  and 
  anon 
  flocks 
  of 
  

   little 
  Waders 
  would 
  dash 
  past 
  the 
  resting 
  birds, 
  and 
  suddenly, 
  as 
  all 
  

   turned 
  together, 
  their 
  under 
  parts 
  would 
  flash 
  white 
  in 
  the 
  sunlight, 
  

   giving 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  drifting 
  storm 
  of 
  snowflakes. 
  

  

  While 
  I 
  am 
  watching 
  this 
  interesting 
  assemblage 
  on 
  the 
  sand- 
  

   bank, 
  the 
  ebbing 
  tide 
  is 
  fast 
  laying 
  bare 
  the 
  mud-flats 
  close 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  

   my 
  position, 
  and 
  birds 
  keep 
  arriving 
  from 
  all 
  sides, 
  and 
  settling 
  within 
  

  

  