170 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



useful paper for the ' Ibis ' on the distribution of our British Birds during 

 the nesting-season (rf. Ibis, 18(55, p. 0), that as rocentlj-, comparatively, 

 as 1847, a pair of Osprcys attempted to nest at Mouksilver, iu West 

 Somerset, but that the keeper shot these unfortunate birds while making 

 their nest ! Then we have been informed l)y the Rev. H. (x. Heaven, of 

 Lundy Island, that since his father bought the island in 1835, the Osprey 

 has had an eyrie there at Gannet's Combe. The birds last bred there iu 

 1838. In that year the male was killed by one of the Channel pilots, 

 who from time to time have dealt great havoc to the Lundy birds, and 

 the female never returned, pro!»ably having been shot elsewhere, or she 

 would certainly have found another mate, and would have appeared again 

 on the familiar cliff. The Osprey, in its autumn migrations, used to 

 favour Devonshire more than any other part of the kingdom. There is 

 not an estuary on which numerous examples have not been procured. It is 

 not met with on the upper parts of the Bristol Channel, where the waters 

 are still opaque, but has been noticed wherever the tideway is clear enough 

 for it to pursue its fishing. It sometimes occurs inland where there 

 are sheets of ornamental water, such as the fine lakes in Sandhill Park 

 and Cothelcstone I'ark in our old parish of Bishop's Lydeard, under the 

 beautiful (iiiantock* Hills in W. Somerset. On the North Devon rivers, 

 although there are many instances of its occurrence, the Osprey was 

 never, we think, so plentiful as it used to be at the mouth of the Exe, 

 and on other estuaries in the south of the county. Although generally 

 confined in its appearances to the autumn months, we have known cases 

 in which the Osprey has been met with in the summer. Thus, the keeper 

 at Lord Devon's beautiful seat, Powderham Castle, in June 1860, noticing 

 that a large Hawk was carrying off his young pheasants, set a trap and 

 caught a fine Osprey. Wiicn the bird was in the gin the valiant keeper 

 was afraid to approach it until he had first well-nigh blown it to pieces 

 with his gun. Our friend Mr. W. Brodrick, then residing at Chudleigh, 

 was only able to preserve the head and feet, which he kept as memorials. 

 The finest specimen of the Osprey we have ever seen is one Avhich was shot 

 at Slajiton Ley by Mr. Michelmore, on October 27th, 1863. It is a very 

 beautiful adult, and was admirably set up by Mr. H. Nicholls, of Kings- 

 bridge, and we considered it quite the gem of his very interesting collection 

 of birds. 



The indefatigable Mr. J. Wolley (cf. Professor Xewton's ' Oothera "\Vol- 

 leyana ') has given a good account of the singular nest constructed by the 

 Osprey, w'hich he says in its shape not a little resembles the great nests 

 of the wool-ant, or, as we may venture to suggest, the nest of the 

 Flamingo. The favourite site is a pointed rock, ruin, or tall fir, on an 

 island in a loch. The nest, he writes, " is usually in the form of a cone 

 cut off at the top ; the sticks project very slightly beyond the sides, and 



* It inay be worth wliile to state tjiat a friend wlio is a great Welsli spbolar li,is 

 nssured us lliat Quantock means " full of Owls," being derived tVom the Welsh " Ciiaii," 

 "an Owl,'" and the termination "og" = "t'ull of." No doubt Owls were ouee very 

 numerous iu tlie thick woods which covered the sides of these hills. 



