Pallas' s Sand- Grouse in 1863. 221 



the history of the bird which we strive to associate with his 

 memory. 



Before quitting the subject, there is one point on which I must 

 say a few words, which will be, I hope, not thought out of 

 place. Hitherto, throughout this paper, I have contented my- 

 self with merely recording the facts of this wonderful irruption. 

 I have now to declare, as strongly as I am able, the feeling of 

 utter disgust with which I have all along regarded the brutal 

 and unnecessary slaughter of these harmless immigrants. In 

 this feeling I am sure all true lovers of ornithology share. It 

 has made the collecting and arranging of materials for this 

 account, which, though a laborious, would have been otherwise a 

 congenial task, from beginning to end irksome to me. I rejoice 

 to say that not one single naturalist, who has favoured me with 

 any communication on the subject, has ever, even in the ex- 

 pression of opinions intended only for my private use, and which 

 may therefore have been unguarded, given me reason to think 

 that he approved the cruel massacre which has been perpetrated, 

 while many have in the most forcible terms condemned it. In 

 published notices^ so far as I know, only one person, whose 

 boldness excites my wonder, has attempted to palliate it, and he, 

 forsooth, writing of these birds, though desirous, he says, " to make 

 them available for scientific purposes," has neglected to chronicle 

 the exact date and locality of the slaughter he committed, thereby 

 cutting himself off from the only excuse that would justify his 

 acts. Perhaps he has made what atonement he could, and 

 deposited the remains of his victims in some public museum. 

 But so far from this having been the prevailing practice in this 

 country among other Syrrhapticides, I know that but a short 

 time ago not a single British-killed example of the species had 

 found its way into the national collections of England, Ireland, 

 or Scotland. What would have been the consequence had our 

 recent visitors been allowed to remain unmolested, the informa- 

 tion I have quoted from Denmark and Holland leaves no room 

 for doubt. That much which is written in newspapers on " bird- 

 murder" is arrant nonsense no naturalist will deny *. The editors 



* In November last a paragraph went the round of the papers, headed 

 " Stupid Slaughter," " More shame to him," and with other similar titles. 



