BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER. 441 



sitting on a bean-stubble, by Mr. R. Barnard, and sent to 

 tbe late Hugb Keid of Doncaster for preservation on tbe 

 31st October, 1851 (Zool. pp. 3330, 3388, 4254). It 

 afterwards passed into tbe collection of Lord Willougliby de 

 Broke, at Compton Veruey, near Stratford-on-Avon. Tbe 

 next specimen, wbicb is now in tbe collection of Mr. J. 

 H. Gurney, was sbot on tbe 12tb December, 1855, in a 

 plougbed field between Cambridge and Newmarket, and an 

 illustration of tbe bird, witb tbe following details of its 

 capture from tbe pen of tbe Rev. Frederick Tearle, of Trinity 

 Hall, Cambridge, appeared in ' Tbe Illustrated News ' of 

 20tb January, 1855 : — " Some farm labourers, wbo were 

 engaged in tbrasbing near tbe spot, observed a strange 

 bird flying round in large circles over tbe adjoining field, 

 and uttering a wbistling cry at sliort intervals. It fre- 

 quently aliglited, and ran along tbe ground like a Corncrake. 

 One of tbe men tbougbt be could catcb it witb bis bat, and 

 gave cbase ; but tbe bird, as soon as be came near, rose, 

 and flew around, wbistling as before. On seeing tbat it did 

 not fly away, tbe son of a gamekeeper, wbo lived close by, 

 went into bis fatber's cottage for a gun, and came out and 

 sbot it. He sent it to me a few days afterwards, calling it a 

 Wbistling Plover." Anotber correspondent of tbe same 

 newspaper, under tbe initials N. S. R,, stated tbat be bad 

 sbot a bird of tbis species on tbe 19tli of January, 1855, at 

 Bigswear, in Gloucestersbire, but tbe assertion must be 

 taken for wbat it is wortb. Tbe tbird autbenticated example 

 was sbot near Mullion in Cornwall, from a piece of pasture- 

 turnips, and brougbt into a game-sbop on tbe 13tli November, 

 18G5, wben Dr. Bullmore obtained and recorded it.* A 

 fourtli, and perbaps tbe earliest Britisb-killed specimen, 

 appears to bave been unrecorded until recently (Zool. 1877, 

 p. 389), altbougb sbot at least tbirty years previously on 

 tbe banks of tbe Parret in Somersctsbire : it forms part 

 of tbe collection of Dr. Woodforde of Taunton. 



A fiftb, recorded by Mr. George Bolam, wbo acquired it, 



* 'Zoologist,' 18G0, p. ?>7, iind 'Cornish Fauna,' p. 31 ; sec also Iloild's 

 ' B. of Cornwall,' ]ii>. 'J(j 100, for an elaborate ilesciiption. 



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