TURDID^. 23 



•which was stated to be the only specimen Mr. Shopland had received 

 during his long experience as a bird-stuffer in that town. 



The Fire-crest occurs not unfrequeutly in Cornwall, especially in the 

 Land"s-End district, Lariggan Yalley being a favourite locality, and in the 

 (Scilly Islands ; also in Dorset. 



Chiffchaff, Fhylloscopus rufus (Bechst.). 



[" Lesser Pettychaps " of Montagu ; "Choice and Cheaj) " about Totnes.1 



A summer migrant, generally distributed, and sometimes very numerous. 

 Breeds. 



Usually arrives about March 26th, departing in October; some, however, 

 occasionally remain all through the ■winter. Col. Montagu saw a Chiff'chatf 

 several times in the winters of l<S06-7 and ISUS-U in Devonshire (Orn. 

 Diet., SuppL). One was shot on January 20th, 1851, at Torquay (Zool. 

 1851, pp. 3033, 3034). Three were shot near Modbury about the end of 

 December 1866 (R. P. ^N".). Mr. J. H. Gurney heard this bird at Torquay 

 on February 14th, and again on March lOth, 1872. In that year wo 

 heard it at Chagford on March 9th (M. A. M., Zool. 1872, p. 3063), and 

 Mr. Gatcombe noticed it at Plymouth on March 16th. It is very common 

 at Plymouth, and Mr. T. li. Archer Driggs saw and heard one there on 

 February 16th, 1875 (Zool. 1875, p. 4381). One was seen at Axminster 

 on February 22nd, 1882 ('Field' for March 4th, 1882). We observed 

 great numbers in a marsh near Topsham, March 21st, 1855, and March I'^th, 

 1856, when snow was falling (Zool. 1856, p. 5093). In some yeais, 

 however, as in 1883, it is scarce (W. D'U.). 



The Chiffchaff is quite as common in Xorth Devon as in the south of the 

 county. 



Willow- War bier. Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.). 



[" Yellow "Wren "of Montagu; Hay-bird, Ground Isaac, Ox-eye: X.D.^j 



A summer migrant, common and generally distributed. Breeds. 



Arrives sometimes as early as the end of March or beginning of April, 

 but more usually about the middle of the latter month, when the great 

 rush takes place acroi^s the Channel. " Xever saw anything like tlie 

 numbers of Willow-Wrens seen during the week of 12th to 18th April, 

 1891^" (E. A. .S. E., MS. Notes). It sometimes remains until October on 

 the south coast, but. we think many leave before the end of August. There 

 is a great influx of birds of the year to the neighbourhood of Exeter and 

 Exmouth at the end of July and early in August. In August 1883 many 

 entered the windows of houses in Exeter, and were brought to us for 

 identification. 



To be seen very early in the spring, when the sallows are first budding 

 into leaf by the side of every brook, this tiny bird is associated in the mind 



