410 TETRAONIDyE. 



work on British Ornithology to which I have had access ; but 

 in Dr. Latham's General History it is described as the Per- 

 dix Gibmltarica, with which my specimen appears to agree. 

 The bird was shot by the gamekeeper on the Cornwell 

 estate in this county, about three miles from hence, and has 

 been kindly presented to me. It was found in a field of 

 barley, of which kind of grain, by the by, hundreds of 

 acres are still standing, with no prospect of being harvested 

 in a proper state. Before I proceeded to preserve the 

 bird, I took the measure of its various parts, the colour of 

 its eyes, bill, and feet, its weight, &c., after which I found 

 its description in the work before alluded to. It was shot 

 on the 29th of October last, since which time another 

 has been killed near the same spot by the same person, but 

 its head was shot off, and otherwise so mutilated as to 

 be unfit for preservation : this might probably complete the 

 pair, mine being a male bird. It had in its gizzard two or 

 three husks of barley, several small seeds similar to char- 

 lock, some particles of gravel, and was very fat. It was 

 considerably injured by the shot, but I have set it up in 

 the best manner I could, and consider it a valuable 

 addition to my small collection of British Birds. Should 

 this prove to be the only known instance of the capture of 

 the bird in Britain, I shall feel glad in having saved it 

 from oblivion. I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant. 

 Chipping Norton, Oxon, Nov. 11, 1844." THOS. GoATLEY. 



"The bird in question is the Hemipodius tachidromus 

 of Temminck, which is figured in Mr. Gould's Birds of 

 Europe, vol. iv. plate 264. Mr. Gould, to whom we have 

 shown Mr. Goatley's letter, considers this one of the most 

 interesting additions to the British Fauna that has oc- 

 curred for many years." Ed. 



