258 Pallas's Sand-Grouse. 



Newmarket, well known as a careful observer, 

 has stated that he has daring the last month 

 seen young sand-grouse, but a certain amount 

 of doubt is thrown on the correctness of his 

 observation by the number of young seven 

 which he alleges to have accompanied one pair 

 of old birds. The abnormal wet and cold of this 

 summer, which, according to reports from all 

 parts of the country, have been terribly destruc- 

 tive to young partridges, have without doubt been 

 most unfavourable to the breeding of the sand- 

 grouse. We hope nevertheless that native-bred 

 birds may now be living among us. 



Great difference of opinion exists as to whether 

 the sand-grouse if unmolested will become a natu- 

 ralised British bird. So great an authority as 

 Mr. Tegetmeier apparently has no doubt on the 

 subject; we, however, while admitting some 

 slight want of confidence in the result, can only 

 hope that this interesting problem may be satis- 

 factorily solved. This can only happen, another 

 immigration being for the present at least im- 

 probable, if the birds now among us are care- 

 fully preserved from destruction, and as much 

 as possible from disturbance. We would there- 

 fore impress upon our readers the importance of 

 doing all in their power to protect the sand- 

 grouse during the shooting season which has 

 just commenced, and we hope that all owners 

 of shootings will, during this season at least, 

 make a strict rule that under no circumstances 



