BIRDS 82. Cirl Bunting. Emberiza cir/us, Linn. Resident but local ; breeds south of Liskeard, in most years at the Lizard, and sparingly elsewhere on the south coast ; has been seen on the Gannel near Newquay, and may have nested there. So far only two specimens recorded from Scilly, one obtained Novem- ber, 1857, and one December, 1859. 83. Ortolan Bunting. Emberiza hortulana, Linn. One example of this accidental visitor was shot by Pechell on a wall at Tresco Abbey, 7 October, 1851. 84. Reed Bunting. Emberiza schoenldus, Linn. Resident in small colonies throughout the county, on the moors at Trebartha, at St. Germans, at Gunwon, Luxulian, and at Marazion. An occasional autumn and winter visitor at Scilly, singly or in small parties. 85. Snow Bunting. Plectropblanes nivalis (Linn.). A fairly constant but not very common winter visitor to the high lands near the coast, occasionally singly, but usually in pairs or in small parties ; almost invariably in immature plumage. A regular early autumn visitor at Scilly, occasionally appearing during the winter and rarely in spring. All have been in autumn plumage except one splendid specimen in full breeding attire, shot by Dorrien-Smith on 29 April, 1890. 86. American Red- winged Starling. Agelaeus phoe- niceus, Vieillot A specimen of this accidental visitor from N. America was shot at Swanpool, Falmouth, in August, 1881. 87. Starling. Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. Up till 1854 only a winter visitor to the county, though in great numbers ; that year a pair bred at Trebartha, and by 1860 fourteen pairs were breeding there. From 1855 to 1858 a single pair bred yearly at Bodmin ; then they began to increase in numbers and to spread. They were first observed breeding at St. Germans in 1865 by Furneaux, at Liskeard in 1866 by Harris and Trathen, at Truro in 1873 by the late Alderman Worth, at Falmouth in 1887 by J. Tilly, at Camel ford in 1890 by H. H. M. Lawrence, at Penzance about 1892 by A. W. Hawey, and at the Lizard about the same time by R. Harris. Enormous numbers still come in the autumn and leave in February and March. At Scilly it is one of the earliest of the winter visitors ; its numbers fluctuate considerably during the winter, and at times many thousands roost in the reed-beds and low plantations on Tresco. As a rule, only a few stragglers remain after the middle of April. 88. Rose-coloured Pastor. Pastor roseus (Linn.). A casual visitor of not infrequent occurrence in the west of the county from April to October. Probably many young birds pass unnoticed on account of the closeness of their resemblance to young starlings. One specimen was shot by Pechell at Scilly, probably in 1848, and another in June, 1892, by David Smith. 89. Chough. Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linn.). This bird, still fortunately a resident with us, has been associated with Cornwall for over 400 years, (i 602) speaks of it as a daw ' peculiar to Cornwall and there-through called a Cornish chough ' ; and the name was in use long before his time. Upton, a canon of Salisbury, writing about the middle of the fifteenth century, speaks of it as specially found in Cornwall (Newton). Camden, in his Britannica (1607) singles it out as the only bird of the county worthy of special comment. Till early last century it was common all round the Cornish coast. It used to breed at Looe, but Stephen Clogg (born 1812) could not remember it. It nested at Turbot Point, to the south of Mevagissey, till after 1820, at Kynance and Mullion till about 1832, at Tol-pedn-penwith, near the Logan Stone, till about 1849, and a nest was found at Trewavas Head in 1854. It used to be caught on the sands at Perran by means of barbed steel traps, and Dr. Bullmore says he has seen as many as five lying dead at one time, and that seven dozen used to be sent annually to Falmouth for sale during the game season. A nest was found on the cliffs near Zennor in 1870, and it may have bred there for a few years later. The last nest at Newquay was destroyed, along with the sitting bird, about 1882, and since that date it does not appear to have bred west of Mawgan Forth. In 1901 only seven nests could be found as the result of a careful survey of the coast between Newquay and Hennacliff. A less thorough examination in 1904 showed the presence of ten nests, and this year (1905) twelve have been recorded. The only example obtained at Scilly was shot by some fishermen during Christmas week, 1899. 90. Jay. Garrulus glandarius (Linn.). Resident ; common throughout the woodlands of the east and south as far west as Meneage, and locally in the north ; a very scarce casual in the Penzance district. Has not been recorded for Scilly. 91. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). Resident ; very common throughout the county, including the Lizard and by no means confined to wooded districts. Two were blown over to Scilly from the mainland with a flock of rooks during a violent gale in October, 1859. One was shot at St. Agnes and the other on St. Helen's by Pechell. 92. Jackdaw. Corvus monedula, Linn. Locally, Chaw. Resident ; has greatly increased in numbers during the past sixty years, and is now most abundant throughout the county. Occasionally carried over to Scilly by winter storms along with rooks, as in November, 1870, January, 1885, and November, 1901. On 2 November, 1905, a flock of about 400 put in at Tresco. 93. Raven. Corvui corax, Linn. Resident and increasing especially about Launceston and in the north-east of the county generally ; nests at intervals along the cliffs both on the north and on the south coasts, and regularly at many inland stations. A casual wanderer to Scilly, but appears to have bred at least once on Gorregan about 1 840. 94. Carrion Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. Resident ; fairly general in the east and south of the county, but absent from much of the north coast. though by no means confined to that county.* Carew The only representative of the genus in permanent 335
