THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 53 



PALLAS'S SAND GROUSE. 

 Syrrhaptes paradoxus (Pall.). 



The year 1863 was the first Sand-Grouse year, six 

 were seen by a shepherd in the Vale of Elmley for 

 several days near a patch of furze ; ultimately a 

 shepherd's boy with a gun came upon the scene, and 

 two of them were shot, a male and female ; this 

 occurred on the seventh of June, they happened to 

 come into my possession. Four Sand-Grouse were 

 seen flying in a westerly direction two days after- 

 wards, when another, a female, was shot by a game- 

 keeper. 



The year 1888 was the second Sand-Grouse year, 

 four were seen upon a ploughed field for several days 

 in the parish of Hoo ; on December the fourteenth 

 a male was picked up dead, with head cut clean off 

 by the telegraph wires on the Isle of Grain railway, 

 another I believe was shot about the same time near 

 Sheerness. 



PHEASANT. 

 Phasianus colchicus (Linn.). 



Pheasants are more or less plentiful according as 

 they are preserved. 



PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix cinerea, Lath. 



The well-known, highly esteemed Partridge is 

 generally distributed in the district. Our chalk soil 



