118 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



the Kingfisher and the Bee-eater, it places its nest in a hole in a hank 

 or tree. 



A specimen is recorded hy !Mr. F. W. L. Ross (MS. Jonrn. iii. p. 59) 

 as having hccn obtained at the hamk't of Daleditch, near Eudleigh 

 Salterton, in September 1841. One was shot at Alphington, near Exeter, 

 on October 20th, Ib'Ji), by Mr. Edmund Hart, and is still in the posses- 

 sion of Mrs. Hart. Mr. J. Gatcombe examined a male shot on June 21st, 

 ISfJf), at Spriddlestone Farm, near Yealmpton, which is now in the collec- 

 tion of Mr. F. C. Hingston. of Plymouth. Mr. J. Brooking Howe gives 

 the date of occurrence of this specimen as June 20th, 1805 (^IS. Notes). 

 It was killed in a hay-field, and is reported to have been bold and fear- 

 less. It was a fine male, and a female is said to have been in company 

 Avith it, but was not obtained. The stomach contained beetles and the 

 skins of long whitish grubs or caterpillars. 



Only one example, as far as we know, can be recorded from North 

 Devon, which was shot in a ploughed field near Barnstaple, about 1850, 

 and brought into that town to be preserved. 



Mr. E. II. Ilodd recorded four obtained in the Land's End district, and 

 we have seen a very fine one in the Truro Museum, which had no 

 particulars as to date, locality, S:c., but was, probably, a Cornish bird. 

 ^Ir. Cecil Smith knew of only one Somerset example, shot many years 

 ago, near Orchard Portman. which -was in the possession of the late Master 

 of the Staghounds, Mr. M. Fcnwick-Bisset, at Bagborough House. 



Family MEROPID^. 

 Bee-eater. Mcroi)s apiaster, Linn. 



An accidental visitor during the summer months of rare occurrence, 

 and only in the southern part of the county. 



The Bee-eater is another chance visitant to this country fi"om the 

 sunny south, of brilliant green plumage, and is of scarcely more frequent 

 occurrence than the Boiler. It is a great persecutor of bees, which it 

 quickly devours, and derives its name from its fondness for them, catching 

 and swallowing them while on the wing. 



A specimen said to be from Devon was in the National Collection, and 

 was presented by ^Ir. Addis Archer. One occurred at Leigham in April 

 1818; another at Ivybridge, 1822; and another was in the collection of 

 Mr. J. B. Bowe, of Plymouth (E. M., Trans. Plymouth Inst. 1830. p. 315 ; 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837, p. ISO ; Rowe's ' Peramb. Dartmoor,' 1848, App. 

 ]). 233). One was obtained in the neighbourhood of Ashburton (A. G. C. T.). 

 A male occurred near Malborough, a few miles from Kingsbridge, May 

 22nd, 1858 ; it was shot in a newly ploughed field, apparently searching 

 for insects, remains of which were found in its stomach ; and is now in 

 Mr. Henry Nicholls's collection (H. N., Zool. 1858, p. 0143, and MS. Notes). 

 A bird supposed to be a male Bee-eater was seen twice at Culmfoot, and 



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