128 TRANSACTIONS. 
tances to travel before they can have a drink of water. About 
some twenty-five or betwixt that and thirty years ago I had two 
specimens of the same kind of birds sent me for preservation. If 
I mistake not, they came from the Moffat district, but they were 
too far gone and did not make good specimens. I have seen none 
of them since until this last season, when IJ received seven nice 
specimens. They have been met with in various parts of the coun- 
try, always in flocks of a larger or smaller number. There are 
several different species of the Sand Grouse, some found in Russia, 
others in the deserts of Arabia, others in the north of Africa, and 
also in Spain. The plumage is of a warm, sandy colour, resem- 
bling the colour of the desert places that they frequent. I could 
hear nothing of them having nested and reared their young while 
here. Another very rare bird in this country is the Ruddy Shiel- 
drake. I had one sent me last summer, shot in the Solway. It is 
much of the same size as the common Shieldrake, but very differ- 
ently marked, being of a bright bay colour all over, and. described 
as being met with to the north of the Baltic breeding in rabbit- 
holes, in the sand hills, much the same as the common Shieldrake. 
I can find no account of it ever having been met with in this country. 
Another little bird, the Spotted Crake, and also the Water Rail, 
which is equally scarce, I have had specimens of this last season. 
But although they are scarce they can hardly be called rare. The 
Great Spotted Woodpecker is another scarce species. I had one, 
shot last season in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, but 
it is seldom that itis seen here. I once had a specimen of the 
Lesser Spotted, shot at Amisfield thirty years ago, and have seen 
none since. The Great Grey Shrike, or Butcher Bird, was sent me 
this season from New-Galloway. It was shot feeding upon a hedge 
sparrow that it had killed. As it cannot hold on with its claws 
like a hawk, it transfixes its victim on a spike in the hedge, or else 
in a cleft in the hedge, where it tears it to pieces and makes a meal 
of it. About the month of August 1 received a specimen of the 
Red-eyed or Dusky Grebe, a bird which is not often met with 
here. It is a very beautiful species, a third larger than the Little 
Grebe. Some years ago I had one sent me, shot on the Loch- 
maben Loch. It is by no means common. I have had some 
curious Hybrid Pheasants sent me this last season, one (a large bird), 
betwixt the pheasant cock and barndoor fowl. It had quite a 
pheasant tail, although not quite so long as in the pure breed, and 
its general appearance shewed at once that it was a pheasant of 
