8 A CENTURY’S WORK ON ORNITHOLOGY. 
The White Wagtail, which is the Continental form of 
our Pied Wagtail, may be often seen at the times of 
migration. This spring I obtained a male that had un- 
doubtedly been nesting in the neighbourhood, but I could 
not locate the nest. 
The Woodchat Shrike I shot close to Bantham village, 
and is new to the district. There was a great flight of 
Short-eared Owls in the fall of 1893. In one turnip field 
a party of sportsmen flushed more than twenty, and some 
were unfortunately shot and thrown into the hedge. Twelve 
Bitterns were shot at Slapton Ley during the winter of 
1890-91, but the owners of that splendid bit of water have 
taken steps to prevent such wanton destruction again. The 
Pink-footed Goose is the only specimen obtained in the 
county, and I secured it by a bit of good luck. Hearing 
late on a Saturday night a goose had been shot near Aveton 
Gifford, I rode out early the next morning to see it and 
secure it if possible. On calling at the house and enquiring, 
I was told “mother was plucking ’un for dinner.” However, 
that process had fortunately not begun; and on the bird 
being brought out I instantly detected the species and 
secured the prize, being glad to substitute another dinner. 
The Bar-tailed Godwits, after an interval of twenty years, 
were driven by adverse winds into the estuary two years 
in succession. The Surf Scoter was brought me late one 
night, and being very busy at the time I did not closely 
examine the bird, and told the boy to take it away. His 
reply—“ Father told me to fling it into the tide if you 
didn’t want it ”—saved the bird, and on a closer examination 
next morning I discovered the rara avis. The Little Gull 
I shot on the estuary was the first obtained here; and so 
with the two specimens of Sabine’s Gull, one of which I 
shot at Besands, the other at Bantham. Manx Shearwaters 
occurred in immense flocks off Bolt Tail in the fall of 1895; 
they settled around my boat like a flock of tame pigeons, 
eagerly devouring the mackerel brit, which was driven to 
the surface by the schools of preying fish below. Large 
flocks were again seen off Prawle Point the end of March 
this year. 
This terminates our imperfect sketch, which must not 
be taken for a complete statement of records, as space only 
allows the most interesting to be touched upon. 
