112 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



as the colour of their backs harmonised with the colour of the water, 

 which is saying a great deal for the colour of the water. 



Sanderling (Calidris arenaria). — A small flock is sometimes seen 

 on the mud-flats during the autumn. A specimen has been reported 

 to have been found dead in October last by a waterman while attending 

 his lines. It had been killed in a curious way. The bird pecked at a 

 Cockle which was sunning itself, whereupon the Cockle shut up its 

 shell on the bird's bill. The Sanderling, unable to rid itself of its 

 captor, died, and the Cockle too ! The bird has been sent to a museum. 



Curlew (Numenius arquata). — A very common bird, breeding on 

 the moors. During the autumn it is very tame. I suppose these 

 tame birds must be the inexperienced young ones which are on their 

 first migratory journey. They usually feed at the edge of the water, 

 but sometimes they take to wading deep or even swimming. When they 

 do this they procure a large amount of food, thus arousing the jealous 

 nature of the Gull. The Gulls nudge them, as it were, and hover over 

 them until they drop the tempting morsels, which their foes greedily 

 devour. I have often seen Gulls flying after Ringed Plover in a most 

 absurd way, but not for any food that they might drop, only to punish 

 them for some impertinent offence ! 



Hekon (Ardea cinerea). — To be seen singly on the river throughout 

 the year, but just about the beginning of January quite a little flock 

 collect and feed on the mud-flats near Fremington. Then during 

 March they breed in a large fir- plantation, not a great distance from 

 the Fremington Railway Station. 



Sheld-Duck (Tadoma comuta). — Common near the estuary of the 

 Taw. It breeds on the Braunton Burrows. The nest is very hard to 

 find, as the bird darts into the hole like an arrow at a terrific speed. 

 Last spring a friend of mine picked up two addled eggs out in the open 

 down on these burrows. They were at about one hundred yards' dis- 

 tance from each other. In the spring the burrows are dotted with 

 small lakes, which as the year advances dry up, leaving damp hollows. 

 It was in one of these hollows that the eggs were found. Possibly 

 they were laid in the water. 



Shoveler (Spatula clypeata). — A pair remained to breed last year 

 at Braunton, on one of the Duck-ponds near the lighthouse. By April 

 26th the eggs were hard-sat, and the chicks came out a few days later, 

 I believe. 



PISCES. 



Torpedo Electric Ray (Torpedo hebetans). — An extraordinary catch 

 was made by a Barnstaple fisherman during the early part of May last 

 year. It proved to be a Torpedo Electric Ray, or Numb-fish. It was 



