DISrOSAL OF OUR GRALUE. 
311 
winter months, divide their search after food between 
the ocean, and inland wafers, besides which, some 
individuals of these species betake themselves 
wholly to the waves, or wffiolly to inland water, 
roaming for the entire season from spot to spot, or 
keeping constant to one locality,—conclusive proofs 
against the notion of instinct being a defined, con¬ 
strained, and very limited mental operation in brutes, 
a doctrine adverse also to the history of most species 
in which instinct is detected. Upon the occurrence 
then of cold, Slapton Ley adds to its visitors a great 
variety of shore birds and pelagic fowls, so that 
this piece of water alone sufficiently shows the 
abitrary nature of making the coast a geographical 
limit for the marine birds. In consequence of our 
maritime situation, and the freedom with which 
marine birds pass the limits of the coast, it becomes 
difficult to state precisely which of the Grallas should 
be enumerated as belonging to the cultivated dis¬ 
tricts, and 1 have allowed myself to be guided in 
some measure by the Oxfordshire list, because that 
county is not maritime, but it is very likely that 
many birds of the Heron kind which I shall rank 
as shore birds are equally entitled to be considered 
as inland Waders. It should be mentioned that not 
only do the shore and marine birds pass the limits 
of the coast and obtain food inland, but the land 
and fresh-water Grallae are very often in winter, 
especially if it be severe, found exploring the shores 
for provender. The Heron , Coot , Gallinule, Lap¬ 
wing, Golden Plover , Grey Plover , and I believe 
some other kinds act thus. I am not aware of any 
species of the Waders w T e are now speaking of quite 
peculiar to South Devon, but the Little Gallinule 
deserves notice, as having been first discovered 
here ; only three specimens are known, two of these 
being Devon birds, and the other obtained from 
the river Ware. 
