Pallas' Sand-Grouse. 331 



prevalence of unusual easterly winds, or other atmospheric com- 

 motions, impelled them on their westerly course, as some have- 

 suggested ; or whether the colonization by Russia of large tracts- 

 of Eastern Siberia, and the reclaiming of waste lands, once their 

 haunts, as others have surmised ; or whether the remarkable 

 drought that prevailed over Central Asia that summer had dried 

 the fresh-water lakes, and scorched up all vegetation, as others 

 have concluded ; or whether, as Professor Newton inclines to 

 think, the natural overflow of an increasing species, prolific as 

 are all of its genus, and exempt in a great measure from the 

 enemies and risks which are apt to beset ground-breeding birds, 

 forced it to drive forth as colonists its superabundant numbers, I 

 will not now stop to argue. Enough for us that, as in early times, 

 the tide of human migrations set in steadily from the east, and 

 starting from the shores of the Caspian and the valleys of the 

 Caucasus, wave after wave of those prolific adventurers poured 

 over Europe, until the Celts had penetrated her most western 

 boundaries, and occupied our island ; so a vast horde of winged 

 strangers has suddenly swept down upon astonished Europe, and 

 a new nomadic race has penetrated to our shores from its distant 

 Eastern home. 



I have already said that several hundreds of this Sand-Grouse 

 reached the limits of Great Britain, and that by far the larger 

 part of them appeared, as was to be expected with Asiatic 

 migrants, in the Eastern counties ; some, however, detached from 

 the main body, under the general persecution which, I regret to 

 say, followed their appearance amongst us, were dispersed all over 

 England, and penetrated almost every county; and one at all 

 events reached Wiltshire, and was killed on Salisbury Plain at 

 Imber on the 29th of June, for the knowledge of which, as well as 

 the occurrence of so many other rare birds in Wiltshire, I am 

 again indebted to the Rev. George Powell, Rector of Sutton Yeney, 

 who most kindly and considerately sent me from time to time an 

 account of any rarity which came under his notice. Our Wilt- 

 shire specimen of the Sand-Grouse was a female, and was alone, 

 and in rapid flight from north to south, when it was shot by Mr. 



