A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



this beautiful bird from many parts of the 

 county where once it was numerous and 

 bred freely. It is still rather common in the 

 more wooded and secluded districts, especially 

 in the South Hams. 



92. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli) 

 Locally, Pie, Mock-a-pie, Piann'et. 



Like the jay, the magpie is gradually dis- 

 appearing from the more thickly inhabited 

 districts, though still a plentiful resident in 

 some parts, as, for instance, in the South Hams 

 and on the south-eastern borders of Dartmoor, 

 where as many as ten to twenty are frequently 

 seen together in autumn and winter. Mr. 

 Gervaise F. Mathew, R.N., saw a magpie 

 with a yellow beak near Buckfastleigh in 

 July 1867. A brood of young magpies with 

 all the parts usually white of a buif colour 

 occurred near Buckland-tout-Saints. 



93. Jackdaw. Corvus monedula^ Linn. 

 Locally, Daw, Chauk, Chofe, ChufFe, Chow. 



This is one of those birds that are increas- 

 ing in numbers throughout the county. It is 

 resident and very numerous, breeding in a 

 great variety of situations, e.g. the towers of 

 Exeter Cathedral, in holes in railway viaducts, 

 iff thick ivy against the walls of houses, in 

 chimneys, in holes in trees, and in company 

 with rooks on the tops of lofty trees, in rabbit- 

 burrows as at Vitifer tin mine on Dartmoor, 

 in clefts of rocks as at the Dewerstone, and in 

 great numbers on the cliffs of the sea-coasts. 

 It has become a serious nuisance in some 

 places, and destructive fires have been occa- 

 sioned through the large quantities of sticks, 

 feathers, horse-hair, sheep's wool and other 

 materials collected in the chimneys of country 

 houses. Large flocks may be seen on winter 

 evenings winging their way back to their 

 roosting places. The jackdaw was formerly 

 unknown on Lundy Island, but has now 

 become an occasional visitor there. Albinos 

 occur at Exeter, Torquay, Berry Pomeroy 

 Castle and Plymouth. At Otterton, late in 

 the eighteenth century, 6(S?. per dozen was 

 paid by the parish for the destruction of 

 ' chofes ' and jays. 



94. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 



The raven is decidedly on the increase in 

 the South Hams, where it has become a per- 

 fect pest to the sheep farmers. Many pairs 

 breed on the cliffs both of the north and south 

 coasts, on some of the rocky tors of Dart- 

 moor, and in trees in some woods in north 

 Devon, A pair or two nest on Lundy 

 Island. 



95. Carrion Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. 

 Locally, Black-bill. 



Although considerable numbers may be 

 seen in winter feeding at low-water on the 

 sands along the coasts, this species appears to 

 be decreasing generally as a resident, and it is 

 no longer seen in some places where it used 

 to breed annually. It is still however numer- 

 ous in wooded districts in the south of the 

 county, but is not common in north Devon. 

 It is found on Lundy Island, where it breeds. 

 White, cream-coloured and other varieties 

 occur. 



96. Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, Linn. 

 Locally, Mussel-Crow, Grey Crow. 



At the present day the hooded crow is a 

 rare straggler to Devon in the autumn and 

 winter months. It appears to have been 

 formerly numerous in winter at Plymouth 

 and on the coast of north Devon. Pennant 

 was misled by Gilbert White in stating that 

 this bird bred on Dartmoor, and according to 

 Polwhele it was never seen there in summer. 

 It is however stated to have once bred at 

 Youlston Old Park in north Devon, and it 

 is thought to have interbred with the carrion 

 crow on Lundy Island. 



97. Rook. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. 

 A.-S. hrSc=a. croaker. 



A very abundant resident increasing in 

 numbers. There are many large rookeries in 

 the county. The immense flocks seen in 

 winter are perhaps partly formed by immi- 

 grants from the north and east. 



98. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis^ Linn. 



Although an abundant resident, the numbers 

 of those sky-larks that remain with us all the 

 year are as nothing compared to the vast 

 hosts which visit us in winter, especially in 

 severe seasons, when thousands perish. Mr. 

 W. Eagle Clarke saw great numbers passing 

 the Eddystone Lighthouse in October 1901. 

 White, buff" and black varieties occur. 



99. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn, 



In some woodland districts in the county 

 this delightful songster is rather common, but 

 it must be considered very local in the breed- 

 ing season. It nests in the neighbourhood of 

 Kingsbridge and of Plymouth. In autumn 

 and winter large numbers arrive, and may be 

 met with in small parties on high rough 

 ground or near the coast, according to the 

 severity of the season. A bufF-coloured 

 variety occurred at Crediton in August 1 851. 



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