30 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



H., Zool. p. 879); it is now in tlie Torquay Museum. Two were killed 

 by Mr. J. Gatcombe near Plymouth on January 10th, 1859 (Zool. 1859, 

 p. 0377). A fifth specimen has also occurred near Plymouth. 



Mr. J. Gatcombe, who was our constant correspondent, kindly placed 

 his MS. notes in our hands, from which we extract a characteristic account 

 of his capture of the two Alpine Accentors mentioned above: — 



" December 20, 1858. Saw a pair of Alpine Accentors near the citadel, 

 but unfortunately had no gun. 



*•' January 8, 1859. Saw the Accentors again, but did not get a shot at 

 them. 



"January 10, 1859. Shot the Accentors. Hurrah!" 



To judge from a live Accentor which we kept for a little time, until it 

 managed one day to fly out of a window and escape, we should say that at a 

 short distance it would be difficult to distinguish an Alpine Accentor from 

 a young Starling in its first plumage. (M. A. M.) 



Family CINCLID^. 

 Dipper. Cinclus aquaticus, fJechst. 



Resident. Breeds. Much reduced in numbers, but some still frequent 

 rapid rocky streams throughout the county, especially those on and in the 

 neighbourhood of the moors. 



Was frequently seen on the higher branches of the Plym about Bick- 

 leigh Vale (E. M.). Several, old and young, seen at Brent, fourteen miles 

 from Plymouth, on the Avon, August 29th, 1883 (J. G., Zool. 1883, 

 p. 422). We saw but one in that locality in August 1889. Mr. E. A. S. 

 Elliot writes that it is " fairly numerous on the Avon. I have found nests 

 under many of the bridges, also in a bank, built amongst the roots of a 

 tree : within a few yards was a Kingfisher's nest, and the public highway 

 ran along the bank at this spot, yet the nests were never discovered, or, 

 at any rate, robbed. On May 4th, 1881, 1 found a Dipper's nest at Hatch- 

 bridge ; on the 12th took it, with three eggs; on the 21st a new nest was 

 built two feet above tlie old site " (MS. Notes). Two pairs nested yearly 

 at Yealm])ton (J. C. B., Nat. Hist. S. Devon, p. 203). A few used to be 

 found on the Dart (T. & K.). 



It has sometimes been seen amongst the rocks on the sea-shore at 

 Torquay (H. S., Zool. 1800, p. 0797). It was formerly numerous on the 

 Teign, especially at Dunsford Bridge. A pair used to breed at Exwick 

 Weir, near Exeter. A nest and five eggs from thence, taken on March 

 24th, 1871, are in the A. M. M. One was shot near Topsham in 1839 

 (F. W. L. E,., MS. vol. ii. p. 17). There were two in a bird-stufter's shop 

 at Exmouth in December 1888 which, we believe, came from the Otter, on 

 which river Mr. Koss says it was formerly numerous. Major Gary 

 Barnard observed one near Branscombe some years ago. One was seen 

 near Uplyme in August 1877 (Mansel-Pleydell, B. of Dorset, p. 19), 



