THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 115 



Okder PTEROCLETES. 



Family Pteroclid^. 

 PALLAS'S SAND QY^O^J^^.—Syrrhnptes paradoxus (Pall). 



A VERY rare visitant. The irruption of Sand grouse 

 into Britain in 1863 affected Devonshire to a small 

 extent only. In June, that year, a flock of thirteen 

 of these birds appeared on the sands at Slapton Ley. 

 Two of the number were shot and taken to Mr. 

 Niciiolls, who ascertained by dissection that they 

 had been feeding on grass seeds (Zool. 1863. p. 

 8721). In December of the same year a soUtary 

 female was shot at Heanton Court, Barnstaple. It 

 was in good condition and weighed nine and a half 

 ounces, or two ounces more than the birds killed on 

 their first arrival. When the great visitation of 

 1888 came, a flight of Sand Grouse visited Lundy 

 Island, and others appeared at Hartland, where Mr. 

 Hamling records that four or five birds were killed 

 in the beginning of June (Zool. 1888. p. 266). 



Order GALLING. 



Family Tetraonid^ 

 BLACK GROUSE.— re^rao teirix, Linn. 

 A RESIDENT species. Polwhele writes in 1796, that ; 

 " The Black or Moor Game were formerly very 

 plentiful in Devon, but are now almost destroyed." 

 He quotes the ' Palkian M.S.' as an authority of 



