A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE 



One was shot in 1902 by Mr. E. S. Pink on 

 Thornton Reservoir, and is in the museum. 



Mr. O. Mumy-Dixon observed one on Swithland 

 Reservoir 29 Nov. 1903, where it remained until 

 i Feb., 1904. 



144. Red-Breasted Merganser. Mergus serrator, Linn. 

 Locally, Sawbill. 



A rare winter visitant. One shot on the pool at 

 Coleorton Hall about 1860 was recorded by the late 

 Dr. Macaulay (Mid. Nat. 1882, p. 79). It is pre- 

 served in the collection of Sir G. Beaumont. 



145. Smew. Mergus albellus, Linn. 



A rare winter visitant. Harley reported it as of 

 occasional occurrence. The species occurred in the 

 county during the severe weather of February and 

 March, 1845, and was frequently met with in the 

 society of scoters, pochards, and wigeon. He further 

 added that it occurred at Groby Pool and also on the 

 Trent. Mr. H. C. Woodcock of Rearsby showed me 

 a fine male smew, in fully adult plumage, which he 

 shot on the River Eye, in or near Wyfordby, in 

 March, 1 846. At the same time he showed me a 

 female, which the late David North had shot at Syston 

 shortly afterwards. Mr. J. Whitaker of Rainworth 

 Lodge, Mansfield, has an adult male, shot at Thornton 

 Reservoir in 1877 (Zoo/. 1884, p. 52). 



Mr. A. Dalby of Castle Donington possesses a 

 female specimen of this variety which he shot 6 Jan., 

 1894. 



146. Ring-Dove or Wood-Pigeon. Columba palum- 



bus, Linn. 



Locally, Quest, Cushat. 



Resident, and generally distributed. In the crop of 

 a wood-pigeon presented to the museum by Mr. J. S. 

 Ellis on 3 Jan., 1882, sixty-one acorns were found. 

 Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907: 'A pair return 

 every year to breed in a chestnut tree in my garden, 

 the old nest being utilized. The second clutch is laid 

 in an adjoining chestnut tree.' 



147. Stock-Dove. Columba oenas, Linn. 

 Locally, Blue Rock (by error). 



Resident, but not so common as the wood-pigeon. 

 Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App. 68) wrote : 

 ' Mr. Grundy has shot ' rock-doves ' at Bardon many 

 years back, which he thought came from the Vale of 

 Belvoir. This would probably not be C. fivia, but 

 C. oenas, which is still common in Bradgate Park, as I 

 learn from Bloxham.' Mr. H. L. Powys-Keck 

 informed me that it is common at Cotesbach. I have 

 seen it nesting in hollow trees at Knighton, whence 

 two young birds were procured for the museum on 

 6 Sept., 1882. Mr. G. Frisby writes in 1905 : 

 ' Immense flocks of these birds were all over the 

 Charnwood Forest, after the acorns which were so 

 abundant.' Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 

 ' Resident and breeding in the park, Market Har- 

 borough, in tubs placed in trees. I have several times 

 found the nest placed on old thrushes' nests and 

 many times in rabbit burrows, as well as in holes 

 in trees. In March, 1894, when driving from 

 Hinckley to Market Harborough, I saw a flock of not 

 less than three to four hundred stock-doves in one 

 field of clover, and in another part of the same field 

 quite as many ring-doves.' 



148. Turtle Dove. Turtur communls, Selby. 

 Locally, Wickin Dove. 



A summer visitant, sparingly distributed and 

 remaining to breed. Harley remarked upon its 

 comparative rarity in the county, and appeared to 

 think it had not bred. In May, 1881, I saw a pair 

 several times in the Rectory garden at Aylestone, and 

 concluded from their actions that they had a nest in 

 the vicinity. Since then I have seen single birds in 

 various parts of the county, and have more than once 

 heard the peculiar ' purring ' coo so characteristic of 

 the species. Mr. Davenport found a nest in June, 

 1878, in a spinney near Tilton, and another at Ash- 

 lands in June, 1884. Mr. G. H. Storer, who saw a 

 pair near Arnesby in 1888, was informed that it bred 

 there. 



Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 'Not com- 

 mon immediately around Market Harborough not 

 sufficient arable land but I have seen as many as 

 fifty in one ploughed field.' 



[Passenger Pigeon. Ectoplstes migratorius (Linn.). 



A very rare straggler from the Nearctic Region. 

 The late Mr. Widdowson wrote : ' One killed in 

 Scalford village street some years ago. The same year 

 I saw accounts of several killed near Liverpool.' As 

 there seems little doubt that the latter examples had 

 escaped from confinement, it is highly probable that 

 the Leicestershire specimen may have been one of the 

 same company.] 



149. Pallas's Sand -Grouse. Syrrhaptes paradoxus 



(Pallas). 



A very rare and irregular visitant, but unusually 

 common in this county during 1888. The late Dr. 

 Macaulay thought he saw a covey of these birds, whilst 

 driving between Saddington and Mowsley, on 23 

 May, 1888, and Mr. G. H. Storer has communicated 

 the following information : Whilst visiting Mr. F. F. 

 How at Swithland, in June, 1888, he heard of cer- 

 tain birds which had been seen in the neighbourhood 

 and which, after careful inquiry, he felt convinced must 

 have been Pallas's sand-grouse. On 3 June Mr. How 

 was walking in a field belonging to Mr. Bates of 

 Swithland when he saw a small covey of birds rise from 

 a field of young barley. From the great length of 

 wing and strength of the birds Mr. How judged them 

 to be some kind of sea-bird allied to the terns, which 

 might have strayed from Cropston, where such birds 

 are not unfrequently seen. The birds flew over into 

 fields belonging to Mr. Pepper. This covey was also 

 seen by a wagoner to Mr. Bates, who said that on 

 5 June, whilst ploughing, a covey of twelve birds had 

 alighted in the field and come within a few yards of 

 him at his work without evincing the least alarm. 

 They appeared to be searching for grubs or worms. 

 He described them as of a light brown colour, with 

 very long wings, feet feathered to the toes, and a black 

 patch above the legs. On 6 June they appeared on 

 Kinchley Hill Farm, belonging to Mr. Bates, near 

 Buddon Wood, where they were fired at, and one 

 was wounded, but not fatally. The covey flew away, 

 and although a keen look-out was kept for it subse- 

 quently, it never reappeared. The land on which all 

 the observers noticed them lies between the village of 

 Swithland and Buddon Wood, and although Mr. How 

 and Mr. Storer carefully worked the whole district on 

 8 June their search was unsuccessful. From the 



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