By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 169 



and Hants, its appearance here as a veritable wild bird may be more 

 readily acknowledged. The late Mr, Marsh assured me that they 

 were occasionally met with in the Winterslow woods; and I have 

 a notice of one killed near Redholn turnpike, on the edge of the 

 plain overlooking the vale of Pewsey, which came into the pos- 

 session of Mr. Lewis of Wedhampton. Like the species last described 

 it loves to frequent forests and wild uncultivated districts, where 

 rank herbage and undrained morasses proclaim the non-intervention 

 of man : and a truly grand sight it is to see the old male or " Black 

 Cock," as it is generally called, in all the pride of his dark glossy 

 plumage, now appearing of jet black hue, and anon with splendid 

 purple reflections, take flight with a startling rush of wings, when 

 disturbed in his retreats. It is conspicuous for the outward curve 

 of the four or five outer feathers of the tail on either side, and also 

 for the bright red naked skin above the eyes. The female which goes 

 by the name of the " Grey Hen," is of far less pretentious appear- 

 ance, being contented with a sombre dress of brown, spotted and 

 barred with darker shades. In general habits food and nesting, 

 it does not vary from its congeners. 



"Red Grous." {Tetrao Scoticns.) This species, so peculiarly 

 British for it is almost unknown elsewhere, and in certain districts 

 so extremely abundant, for where it has been most carefully pro- 

 tected and encouraged it literally swarms to an astonishing extent, 

 is only of accidental occurrence in Wiltshire. Col. Montagu speaks 

 of a female taken alive near Wedhampton in this county, in the 

 winter of the year 1794, as pointed out to that distinguished Natu- 

 ralist by Mr. Poore : and I have information of another killed by 

 the late Mr, Colston's keeper at Roundway Park near Devizes, 

 while a third is in the possession of Mr. Heneage, which was killed 

 at Compton Bassett. These must have been stragglers from Wales, 

 and were probably driven out of their course by the prevalence of 

 high winds. Unlike the species previously described, the Red 

 Grous is not polygamous, and never perches on trees : it also differs 

 from them in having the toes completely feathered ; in other res- 

 pects its general habits and economy are similar. 



" Pallas' Sand Grous." {Syrrhaptes paradoxus.) Up to the year 



VOL. XI. — NO. XXXII. N 



