XXX EAST DEVON. 



district contains the fertile Aales of Exeter and Honiton. The 

 cliffs of the sea-coast, in some places of considerable height, are 

 formed by the red rocks of the Triassic, and the white chalk, the 

 clays and sands of the Cretaceous Periods, and form breeding- 

 places for Kestrels, Herring-Gulls, and Cormorants, and a few pairs 

 of Ravens and Peregrines. The Osprey and Gannet no longer 

 breed on the south coast, although the latter is supposed to have 

 done so in an isolated instance a little more than thirty years ago. 



At the mouth of the Exe on the south-western side is a stretch 

 of sand-hills known as Dawlish, Kenton, or Exmouth Warren, 

 which in the middle of the last century covered about 300 acres, 

 but is now much diminished in size and is decreasing annually. 

 It was formerly a favourite place of resort for aquatic birds, and 

 here the Black-winged Stilt, Pratincole, aud Red-breasted Goose are 

 reported to have been met with. The Avocet appears to have once 

 frequented it not uncommonly, and the Dotterel and Little Stint 

 occur occasionally. A pair of Sheldrakes have bred there of late 

 years, and the Ring-Plover frequently nests on its shores. The 

 only known British specimen of the Great Black-headed Gull was 

 shot in the Exe estuary off Exmouth iu May or June 1859, and 

 amongst the rocks near the mouth of the Exe a specimen of the 

 American White-winged Crossbill was picked up dead. We believe 

 we were once fortunate enough to see a Black-headed Warbler in 

 our garden at Exmouth, and the only known Devonshire examples 

 of the 'Parrot Crossbill ■" Averc shot at Marley, near that town^ in 

 January 1888 ; recently a specimen of the Serin has been caught 

 in the neighbourhood. The Little Auk, Wilson^s Petrel, Buffon's 

 Skua, &e. have also occurred. 



Higher up the Exe estuary near Topsham, a splendid adult 

 Little Egret was shot in ]May 1870, aud an example of the Fulmar 

 was captured. The Osprey has frequently occurred, the last being 

 killed in 1871. In the marshes opposite Topsham the Bearded 

 Tit is said to have formerly bred. One or two specimens of the 

 AVhite Stork have been obtained, and the Black Stork is believed 

 to have been seen. Around Exeter the Xightingale and Grass- 

 hopper Warbler are of frequent occurrence in spring and summer, 

 and the Blue-throat is reported to have occurred on one or two 

 occasions. 



