The Zoologist — Februarv, 1866. 79 



Ri7ig Dove (Coluinba palnmbus). — An exceedingly common and very 

 destructive bird ; in fact, the attention of our agvicultmists will have 

 to be directed towards keeping this bird within bounds, as in places 

 where they appear, as they do about here, in large flocks, I consider the 

 damage caused by thera to the root-crops and young clovers to be 

 greatly in excess of that done by the much-persecuted " coneys." 



Stock Dove (Cohiraba aenas). — Another very common bird in this 

 county. I seldom see a large flight of so-called "wood pigeons" 

 without several of these birds being mixed up with them. They are 

 easily recognized by their short blunt appearance. I am not aware of 

 the true rock dove ever having been met with in Shropshire, though 

 I know it has the credit of belonging to us. As the stock dove is 

 generally designated by gamekeepers and others as the "blue rock," 

 this has, in all probability led to the error. 



Turtle Dove (Columba turtur). — Plentiful in this county, where it 

 takes its orovincial name of the " Wrekin dove," from the celebrated 

 Shropshire hill. They were peculiarly abundant this summer in this 

 district, and I knew of a great many nests. About August they con- 

 gregate in considerable flocks in the fields, like the ring dove; I have 

 seen fifteen or twenty at one time upon the wing. 



Sand Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus). — I gather from Mr. Alfred 

 Newton's most excellent account of this bird, published in the ' Ibis,' 

 that Shropshire can boast of having been visited by the largest flock 

 of these mysterious strangers recorded in England during the late 

 irruption. Two were killed at Oswestry from nearly one hundred 

 birds. I was informed of the capture of these specimens, but was not 

 at all aware that they had appeared there in such astonishing numbers. 

 A flock of eighteen were also mentioned, in the ' Field,' as having 

 occurred near Ludlow. I much regret that I never was able to meet 

 with any of these most interesting invaders, nor have I been able to 

 obtain even a stuffed example of them. 



Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). — The rearing of 

 pheasants by hand has of late years been carried to such an extent 

 that one begins to look upon them more in the light of poultry than 

 of wild birds; and the numerous foreign crosses resorted to have 

 almost entirely destroyed the original character and markings of the 

 bird. 



Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix). — Numerous in many parts of the 

 county ; the Black Hill, the Longmynd and Clun Forest produce 

 them in considerable abundance. The Brown Clee Hill, as well as 



