on the Eddystone. 261 
try fresh areas near at hand ; often, however, to return in a 
few moments to spots which they had just previously quitted. 
While thus engaged they frequently approached the edge of 
the reefs and did not seem to mind the buffeting they en- 
countered amid the broken water ; now and then a shower 
of spray would cause them to rise on the wing, but, nothing 
daunted, they alighted again as soon as the disturbing 
element had passed. 
On September 29th a small flock of Ringed Plovers passed 
the lighthouse flying rapidly due south, and evidently bent 
on crossing the Channel. 
The Purple Sandpiper visits the reefs in the late autumn 
and winter to search for food during low water, returning to 
the mainland at high tide, when its haunts are submerged. 
The first bird of the season arrived on the 11th of October, 
and as many as four were seen from that date onwards. A 
single Turnstone was observed on the rocks on September 
30th — an immature specimen. 
A number of migratory marine birds also came under 
observation. Foremost among these in point of rarity was 
an example of Sabine^s Gull, seen near the tower on the 
morning of September 29th. This bird was in an interesting 
stage of plumage, being an adult assuming winter dress. It 
was most accommodating in its behaviour, since it frequently 
rose and displayed its deeply forked and entirely white 
tail, and those conspicuous bands of white which cross the 
pinions — features which render this species both remarkable 
and unmistakable when on the wing. It sat on the water 
more buoyantly than the other Gulls around it, and was 
in general more elegant in form than any of them. 
The next species deserving mention is the Sooty Shearwater 
(Puffinus gristus), described in the ' Birds of Devonshire ■* as 
"a very rare accidental visitor" to that county. I saw single 
examples on September 23rd, and on October 12th (two), 
14th, and 19th, the last day being that of my departure. It 
is possible that this bird was not very uncommon just beyond 
the range of identification, where the shoals of Pilchards 
were frequent and proved a great attraction to various other 
