SUMMER HOURS ON BREYDON 113 



unsavoury gleanings, while they flutter and croak and hop 

 around their elders in a most energetic fashion. 



One would hardly dream of such a rara avis as Pallas' sand- 

 grouse visiting Breydon, a place so ill-adapted to its habits, 

 that its appearance there could have been but accidental. The 

 late Fielding Harmer,in a very meagre reference to this species, 

 mentioned the fact of six having been seen "crossing" Breydon 

 on June 1 2th, 1863 (in which year sixty were recorded for 

 Norfolk). I have recorded the shooting of one example 1 

 when in company with several grey plovers on the walls. 



But an old sportsman, once the crack puntsman on Brey- 

 don, narrated to me one evening, in 1905, his experiences with 

 a bird of this species. 



During that " invasion " of sandgrouse he fell in with 

 eleven, on a flat near the " lower run," and had very little 

 difficulty in getting within range. They rose just as he was 

 about to fire, and when he pulled the trigger, the gun most 

 annoyingly hung fire ; but on the charge exploding, it dropped 

 out the hindmost bird. The feet were very muddy. The re- 

 mainder flew away, and he had to be content with one. He 

 took the bird to the late Mr. Owles (a chemist who was an 

 excellent microscopist, but not a bird expert), who " couldn't 

 find anything like it in the books." He then proceeded with 



the bird to the " Royal," where his chief, Captain L , was 



staying (he, like my informant, then a sergeant-major, was an 

 officer in the Artillery Militia). 



Pestell left the bird there, the Captain being out, and an 

 officer, who had been abroad, recognised it as the sand- 

 grouse. On returning to the hotel to hear more about the 

 bird, Pestell was met by the Captain's wife. 



" What a job ! " said she ; " a fellow at Horsey has shot 

 several ! " which was a direct suggestion that the rarity and 

 consequent value of the bird as a " specimen " had greatly 

 deteriorated. However, the parties eventually came to terms, 

 and the bird was placed in the Longe collection. 



"Just my luck," said Pestell; "had I gone at the right 

 moment, and caught the Captain at home " 



"What?" I asked. 



" Why, I could ha' made more on it ! " said he, with a snap, 

 annoyed at the recollection. 



1 Vide Nature in Eastern Norfolk^ pp. 201-3. 



I 



