46 On the Ornithology of Wilts [^Charadriadce]. 



part of the world. During the greater portion of the year they 

 congregate in large flocks ; and most of them migrate, or partially 

 migrate, retiring to the sea-coast when frost sets in,- as is the case 

 with many other birds. 



" Pratincole." (Olareola torquata.) It is highly satisfactory to 

 me that I am able to head my list of Wiltshire Waders with this 

 extremely rare visitor to Great Britain, and that satisfaction is 

 much enhanced by the circumstance that the individual in question 

 has found its way into my collection through the kindness of the 

 gentleman who killed it. As the bird is so very little known in 

 this countrj'', it may be of interest if I extract from the pages of 

 the Zoologist the whole story of its capture, as I recorded it in 

 that publication at the time.* "In the middle of November, 1852, 

 when Mr. Hussey, of Tilshead, was walking over his land, the day 

 being very rough and cold, the wind blowing from the east, he 

 saw a strange bird descend near him with the velocity of lightning, 

 and settle inside a sheep-fold among the sheep. As Mr. Hussey 

 chanced very fortunately to be an observer of birds, he immediately 

 remarked that this was one he had never seen before, and pointed 

 it out to his shepherd who was with him, desiring him to watch 

 the bird well while he returned to his home, at the distance of a 

 mile, for his gun. Before he went, however, he saw the bird 

 suddenly rise from the ground, and after a short flight of the most 

 marvellous velocity, return again to the fold, where it seemed to 

 enjoy the shelter from the bleak east wind, and to care nothing for 

 the presence of the sheep, the men and, the dogs. This short 

 excursionary flight was renewed several times, which made Mr. 

 Hussey hesitate whether he should take the trouble to return home 

 on so remote a chance of still finding on his return so singularly 

 restless and swift a bird ; however, as the bird always came back 

 to the same spot after each successive excursion, Mr. Hussey hesi- 

 tated no longer, but hurried home for his gun, giving strict charge 

 to the shepherd to keep quiet, and on no account to lose sight of 

 the bird. Now the shepherds of Salisbury Plain (in the midst of 

 the bleakest part of which the parish of Tilshead lies), are not 

 » Zoologist for 1852, p. 3843, et seq. 



