Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/274

250 the 29th there was a tremendous gale from the E.N.E., with heavy showers of snow, notwithstanding which I observed a solitary Sand Martin arrive from sea, flying northwards; and the same afternoon many Wheatears made their appearance on the coast.

On April 2nd there were some Golden Plovers in the market with completely black breasts ; and on the same day I visited a Raven's nest on the coast near Bovisand, in which were three young birds, fully fledged, looking nearly as large as their parents, who kept flying round, croaking, falling, and turning nearly over in the air in great excitement. I also watched a pair of Red- throated Divers, in full breeding plumage, swimming off the rocks in the Sound — rather a late date for them to remain in this locality. I may here remark that Red-throated Divers have become very scarce on our immediate coast within the last few years.

On April 27th I visited the cliff's at Wembury, and found all the Herring Gulls assembled at their usual nesting place, but observed only one nest. 1 have no doubt, however, that there were many others which could not be seen. There were some splendid Crested Shags, in full breeding plumage, on the rocks below, and many Kestrels about, but, I am sorry to say, no Peregrines.

Half-a-dozen Swifts made their appearance on May 1st, hawking for insects rather high in the air over Stonehouse, and by the following day many flocks of Whimbrels had arrived on the banks of the River Lynher. I understand, however, that some were heard passing overhead nearly a week previously. On the 4th I remarked a White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, in a newly-ploughed field, and again paid a visit to the Raven's nest, but found the young had flown. A dealer in live birds at Plymouth showed me a fine young Raven which had been sent from Cornwall, and told me that the coastguardsman, who had taken it when robbing another nest a few days afterwards, had fallen from the cliff and was killed on the spot. Six lives have already been sacrificed during the past month in taking the eggs and young of Ravens and Gulls — four on the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and two at St. Abb's Head, on the coast of Scotland. By the way, I do not understand why the eggs of sea-fowl are not protected as well as the birds themselves. The Lesser Black-backed Gulls by this date had almost all left for their breeding stations, and so had the Mews, but I do not know a nesting locality for either species on the coasts of Devon or Cornwall, certainly not within a great many