CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORT FOR N. DEVON. 101 
a pinnacle of rock near the eyrie, and afterwards flew into the 
cleft and walked on to the eggs. The pair of Lesser Black- 
backed Gulls are breeding in the middle of the Herring-Gull 
colony again this season at Baggy Point. 
22nd.—I saw a great number of Curlews on Exmoor to-day. 
The majority appeared to be breeding. Also a large number of 
Black Grouse. The stronghold of the Grouse in these parts is 
Exmoor, but they are to be found in small numbers on all the 
commons and heaths neighbouring on the moors. They used 
to be seen plentifully on Codden Hill, near Barnstaple, but I 
believe they have been held to be extinct in that district for 
some years. It was therefore with some pleasure that I dis- 
turbed a Greyhen from among the heath on Codden Hill last 
winter. This spring Mr. Hamling struck across a Greyhen with 
a brood of youngsters, which could scarcely fly, on this same 
hill, near Bishopstawton. Evidently, then, one pair bred there 
this season. I noticed a Cirl-Bunting at Bratton Fleming. 
25th.—A Sparrow-Hawk’s nest in a poplar tree at Santon, 
containing five eggs, and lined with bark. Somebody removed 
these eggs to-day. However, by June 28th apparently the same 
pair of Hawks had utilized another nest in a poplar about three 
yards off. This nest was also lined with bark, and contained 
three eggs (hard sat), and with very little dark pigment on them. 
The old bird returned to her nest after a few minutes, first 
pitching on a twig near, and then bounding in handsome style 
on to the rim of the nest, when she slowly walked in and covered 
the eggs, leaving to view no more of her handsome form and 
bold colouring than a long barred tail which protruded over the 
edge of the nest. 
25th.—A Burrow-duck sitting on six eggs in a round chamber 
seven feet down a Rabbit’s burrow on Braunton Burrows. It is 
always an easy matter to find a Burrow-duck’s nesting-hole by 
observing the scraps of down and footmarks at its entrance. 
Otherwise the great secretiveness of this bird with regard to the 
nesting-site shows a very perfected instinct. But the whole of 
her vigilant care is thrown away and at once counteracted by the 
leaving of down at the mouth of the hole. 
June 5th.—By kind permission of Lady Chichester, of Arling- 
ton Court, I visited the heronry situated in the Arlington grounds. 
