A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



shot at Aveton GifFord, and two had been 

 seen for a week previously on the Kingsbridge 

 estuary. These birds are supposed to have 

 strayed from Chequers Court, Bucks, the seat 

 of the Rev. Hubert D. Astley, who had kept 

 six birds in a state of semi-captivity on his 

 grounds, and some of them had flown away 

 not long before. 



150. Black Stork. Ciconia nigra (Linn.) 



It is somewhat doubtful if this rare acci- 

 dental straggler to England can be reckoned 

 amongst Devonshire birds, accounts diiFering 

 as to the exact place where the only example 

 was shot on 5 November 1831. According 

 to some authorities it was obtained on the 

 Tamar, whilst others state that it was on the 

 Lynher, a tributary of that river on the 

 Cornish side, but not far from the borders 

 of Devon. This specimen was in the splen- 

 did collection of the late Mr. E. H. Rodd of 

 Penzance, who records it in his Birds^ of Corn- 

 wall. The late Mr. Marsh-Dunn of Teign- 

 mouth also had a specimen which purported 

 to have been killed on the Tamar, but was 

 obtained from a dealer. A black stork is 

 supposed to have been seen near Topsham 

 inFebruary 1855, during very severe weather ; 

 and two are reported to have been observed 

 on 3 April 1894 standing on the rocks at 

 Salcombe Cove near Sidmouth. 



151. Glossy Ibis. Plegadis falcinellus {Linn.) 

 An accidental visitor in autumn. About 



a dozen examples have been obtained, nearly 

 all immature birds, and all but one in south 

 Devon. Two of them occurred far inland 

 at Holsworthy and Bridestowe. The last 

 was obtained on the Dart, not far from 

 Totnes, 26 September 1869. 



152. Spoonbill. Plata lea leucorodia, Linn. 



A casual visitor during the autumn and 

 winter months to both the north and south 

 of the county. About thirty spoonbills are 

 known to have occurred during the past 

 century, mostly immature birds. Montagu 

 obtained an adult 16 March 1807, and 

 Bolitho of Plymouth had one from the St. 

 German's river in Cornwall, not far from the 

 borders of Devon, 6 April 1867, One was 

 seen on Dawlish Warren 10 May, 190O. 

 All the other occurrences were from Sep- 

 tember to December. The last example 

 was shot on the Kingsbridge estuary 19 

 November 1901. 



153. Grey Lag-Goose. Anser cinereus, Meyer. 

 A casual visitor of very rare occurrence. 



A few geese of this species were brought to 



the Plymouth market in January 1829 and 

 January 1830. The late Mr. J. Gatcombe 

 obtained one in the Plymouth market in 

 January 1858 ; and another in the Devonport 

 market, 25 November 1858, the last having 

 been shot on the Tamar. It is now in the 

 Albert Memorial Museum at Exeter. One 

 was killed near Barnstaple many years ago. A 

 grey lag-goose was observed for several days 

 feeding on the ley at Thurlestone in com- 

 pany with four tame geese, and was shot 

 26 September 1886. The last occurrence 

 of this species was at Slapton Ley, 25 Octo- 

 ber 1889, when one was shot. 



154. White-fronted Goose, yinser alhifrons 



(Scopoli) 

 Locally, Laughing Goose (N. Devon). 

 A winter visitor which has been in some 

 severe seasons rather plentiful, both inland 

 and on the marshlands of the river estuaries. 

 Next to the Brent goose this species may be 

 considered the commonest of all the wild 

 geese which visit Devonshire, The last seen 

 and identified were observed by Mr. E. A. S. 

 Elliot in Charlton Marsh near Kingsbridge 

 in March 1900. Five wild geese seen near 

 Crediton in November 1902 were probably 

 of this species. 



155. Bean-Goose. Anser segetum Q. F. 



Gmelin) 

 A casual winter visitor. There have been 

 few occurrences of this goose since 1830, 

 when many were shot and brought to Ply- 

 mouth market. Some were seen there by 

 Mr. Gatcombe in February 1855 ; 22 De- 

 cember 1874; December 1879; and Janu- 

 ary 1 88 1. Three were shot on Slapton Ley 

 on 7 February 1888. An adult male was 

 shot by Mr. E. A. S. Elliot on the Kings- 

 bridge estuary 29 December 1890, another 

 bird being seen in company with it. This 

 species used to frequent the Braunton marshes 

 in north Devon in severe winters, and a flock 

 was seen on Lundy Island in i860, 



156. Pink-footed Goose. Anser hrachyrhynchus, 



Baillon. 

 A casual visitor of very rare occurrence. 

 The late Mr. Henry Nicholls saw three or 

 four birds of this species hanging up in a 

 poulterer's shop in Kingsbridge many years 

 ago. They had been shot on the estuary 

 there. On 8 February 1896, in very severe 

 weather, one of these geese was shot in Aveton 

 GifFord Marsh. About the same time three 

 geese had been seen in the Kingsbridge 

 estuary, and afterwards at Slapton Lty^ which 

 probably belonged to this species. 



316 



