ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL DURING THE AUTUMN OF 1876.
By John Gatcombe.
On my return to Plymouth I went to see the variety of Yellow Bunting mentioned in my last notes (2nd ser. 5146), and found it to be really of a bright yellow canary-colour, and not light buff, like Mr. Bond's specimen. To show how nearly it resembled a Canary in colour, I was told by the birdstuffer that when it was first brought to him, seeing that it was in a rough and mutilated condition, and not for a moment doubting it to be a Canary, he advised the servant to take it back to his master, with the message that he did not consider it worth preserving. This the man did, but brought it again the next day, saying that his master particularly wished it to be stuffed, that it was shot on Dartmoor, and hoped he would try to do his best with it; upon which Mr. Peacock examined the bird more closely than he did at first, and found, to his surprise, that it was not a Canary but a Yellow Bunting.
Some Scoters were obtained in Plymouth Sound on the 3rd of October, one of which was a very fine adult male. On the following day a white Swallow was killed at Huntshill, near Bridgwater. On the 14th an immature white Spoonbill was brought to Plymouth Market, which was killed on the banks of the St. Germans river, Cornwall. On the 21st a young Black Tern was shot in Plymouth Sound, and other Terns seen. The last Wheatear noted by me for the season was seen on the rocks at the Devil's Point, Stonehouse, on the 23rd of the same month.
A young Red-throated Diver, shot in the Sound, had the stomach crammed with Sprats: a common name for this species is Sprat Loon. The contents of the stomach of a Cormorant, killed the same day, consisted of three Wrasses of a tolerably good size. A young Merganser was also obtained in Plymouth Sound, and its stomach was found to contain several Blennies, showing that it must have been fishing close to the rocks.
Several Long-eared Owls were brought to the birdstuffers on the 30th of October, and flocks of Ring Ouzels were seen on Dartmoor. The following day I observed a Snow Bunting on the cliff's near Mount Batten. The wind was N.E., and very cold, after two days' frost. This little bird was so tame that I got within three
