PALLAS'S SAND GEOUSE. 



157 



various plants, such as spurrey {Spergula arvensis), knot- 

 grass (Arrhenatherum avenaceicm), clover, chick weed (Stellaria 

 media), dock (Eumex), and the like. 



Its flight is rapid, and resembles that of the Golden 

 Plover. Great numbers visited the British Islands in May 

 1863, when several flocks were observed in East-Lothian; 

 but by the following winter and spring the bird had dis- 

 appeared from England as well as from Scotland. 



Little further was heard of the Sand Grouse in this 

 country until May 1888, when it was again seen in nearly 

 every part of the kingdom. 



Professor Newton records that it bred on the Culbin 

 Sands, Morayshire, in August 1889.^ 



An Act of Parliament was passed on the 24 th of 

 December 1888 for its protection from the 1st of February 

 1889 to the 1st of June 1892, with the view of the bird 

 becoming acclimatised, but it has now (February 1892) 

 quite disappeared from Great Britain. 



1 Ibis sixth series, vol. ii. pp. 211-214. 



