BIRDS 



lection it afterwards passed. It proved to be a 

 female. About the same time one was shot, 

 as was stated, at Edge Hill, which may have 

 been one of the same flock and was brought 

 to Mr. G. Quatremayne of Stratford for 

 preservation. With the latter specimen, 

 which was a male, several others were shot, 

 which were plucked and eaten. In the 

 Zoologist (1873, p. 3801) there is a record 

 of the appearance of the sand-grouse at Swin- 

 fin near Tamworth. 



145. Black Grouse. Tetrao tetrix, Linn. 

 Was formerly not very rare at Sutton Cold- 

 field. A pair were shot there in October, 

 1871. It is now probably extinct. 



146. Red Grouse. Lagopus scoticus (Latham) 

 Occurred formerly at Sutton Coldfield, but 



is no longer found there. 



147. Pheasant. Phasianus co/cbicus, Linn. 

 Occurs where preserved. 



148. Partridge. Perdix cinerea, Latham. 



Its presence depends chiefly on its pro- 

 tection. 



149. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabis rufa 



(Linn.) 



Is rather local in its distribution, and does 

 not appear to supersede the common part- 

 ridge even under protection. 



150. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. 

 A summer visitor, but though not rare the 



quail cannot be considered as otherwise than 

 uncommon. It has occurred in most parts 

 of the county, though only sparingly. 



151. Corn-Crake or Land-Rail. Crex praten- 



sis, Bechstein. 



A summer visitor whose presence is known 

 by its loud raking note. That note, once so 

 common in the meadows bordering the Avon 

 and its tributaries, is now much less frequently 

 heard. Formerly the corn-crakes were nu- 

 merous enough in the meadows for their 

 voices to be heard apparently in rivalry, and 

 their nests were often mown out in the hay 

 season. They were never so abundant in the 

 cultivated fields, but now they are not often 

 heard in either meadow or cornfield, and the 

 nest is rarely seen. 



152. Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta 



(Leach) 



Though not absolutely rare in the county 

 this species is by no means common. It 

 is most frequent in the spring and autumn, 

 but has occurred both in summer and mid- 



winter. In the summer of 1848 one was 

 caught by a cat in an osier bed under the 

 walls of Warwick Castle, and came at once 

 into the hands of the present writer. In 

 January, 1860, one was shot on the Avon 

 where it divides the counties of Warwick and 

 Gloucester, a few miles down stream from 

 Stratford. It is stated to have nested in 

 Sutton Park in 1880. 



153. Water-Rail. Rallus aquattcus, Linn. 



A migratory bird in the county and com- 

 mon throughout the winter, but unknown 

 in the summer. 



154. Moor-Hen. Gallinula ch/oropus (Linn.) 

 A common resident which breeds freely in 



the county. If closely observed it will be 

 seen retiring to roost with great punctual- 

 ity towards nightfall into some bush or low 

 tree, generally one overhanging the water of 

 a river or pool, climbing up the branches 

 which hang down into the water. The 

 habit of ascending into trees even to a con- 

 siderable height out of the way of danger is 

 not uncommon with the moor-hen. When 

 out shooting some years ago the present 

 writer saw a moor-hen which was flushed by 

 the dog fly directly up into the very top of 

 a large oak, and there disappear from sight. 

 Shortly afterwards a second was put up which 

 was seen to drop directly into the old nest 

 of a crow. A well directed shot at the 

 bottom of the nest brought both the birds out 

 in great haste, but apparently unhurt. The 

 moor-hen will become very tame if not 

 alarmed, and has been known to approach 

 quite near to a dwelling and feed morning 

 and evening with the poultry. 



155. Coot. Fullca atra, Linn. 



Common on ornamental or protected 

 waters. 



156. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax, Linn. 



' Once at Thickbroom near Tamworth.' 

 Chase. 



157. Stone-Curlew. (Edicnemus scolopax (S. 



G. Gmelin) 



Two specimens of this bird which were 

 killed in the valley of the Avon are in 

 the possession of the writer. One was taken 

 at Wilmcote near Stratford on 19 October, 

 1847, an d tne other shot on i January, 1853, 

 on the border between the counties of War- 

 wick and Gloucester near Weston-on-Avon. 



[Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.) 

 Has occurred at Perry Barr near Birming- 

 ham in 1882, and on Cannock Chace in 

 1875.] 



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