Birds. 8959 
pheasant brought from? — James Cooper; Museum, Warrington, December 26, 
1863. 
Pallas’ Sand Grouse in Scotland.—A fine male specimen of the sand grouse has 
been obtained in the neighbourhood of Lossiemouth. It was struck down by a hawk, 
and was just on the point of being disfigured, when it was rescued by a person who 
had seen the attack. The bird is now preserved, and is to be sent to the Elgin 
Museum. The specimen was plump and in good condition. It is very difficult to 
say what is the cause of this northern migration. The sand grouse is a native of the 
dry sandy deserts of Southern Tartary, and is rarely seen in the cullivated parts of the 
country. The question may arise, Is the bird a regular summer visitant of Moray? 
Tf wastes of sand are its favourite habitat, we have plenty of that description extending 
along the shores of the Firth; and it is evident that the bird has been in this country 
for some time, otherwise the labour in so long a flight would have reduced it to a mere 
skeleton. We expect to hear soon of the Tartary grouse breeding on our shores. Our 
summer temperature is not too low for that purpose, especially in the extensive tracts 
of hot dry sand which border the Firth.— Banffshire Journal [no date]. 
Pallas’ Sand Grouse at Dornoch—On the afternoon of the 5th of June, 1863, 
while riding along the edge of the sandy bent-bills which form the south-eastern 
corner of the county of Sutherland, and where, at this season of the year, there is a 
breeding place of terns (Sterna hirundo), my attention was attracted by a number of 
these birds flying about in a noisy and excited manner, and swooping down upon what 
T at first conjectured would turn out to be a weasel or other unwelcome intruder. On 
going up to the spot, I saw a bird, which, as I approached, at first crouched down, 
but then flew up, with a harsh, grating cry, and after a short but elegant and very 
rapid flight, during which it was pursued by the terns, it alighted not far from where 
I had started it. Going home immediately for a gun, I was fortunate enough to fall 
in withjit again, and shot it. From a plate I had previously seen, I knew it was 
a sand grouse, and believing this to be its first occurrence in Scotland, I sent the bird 
to Macleay, bird-stuffer, Inverness, for preservation, along with a short description of 
it, which appeared in the ‘Inverness Courier’ of the 11th of June. I had conse- 
quently no opportunity of examining the contents of its stomach, or of making any 
obervations of its structure. The bird was a solitary male, and in good plumage, 
though, when shot, the upper parts were somewhat soiled with the chalky excretions 
squitted out upon it by the terns, a means of offence frequently adopted by these 
birds, though I am not aware that it has been generally noticed by ornithologists. 
Although I have frequently looked for other specimens of the sand grouse on the 
same ground, I have never been able to fall in with more. I may mention, however, 
that at Brora, about fifteen miles directly nurth, on the Ist of June, 1863, I saw in a 
field of young corn a flock of seven birds, which attracted my attention at the time 
as being somewhat unlike golden plovers, which I then fancied them to be, but which 
T am now convinced must have been sand grouse, and very probably was the same 
flock which soon afterwards appeared in Caithness, and supplied at least one specimen 
to that county. The male bird shot by me, as stated above, is now in my possession. 
—Thomas Mackenzie; Dornoch, January 14, 1864. 
The Bittern shot near Beverley —On the 4th of January, 1864, a splendid mature 
female of this bird, now so rare in the East Riding, was brought to me. It had been 
shot by Mr. Denison, of Beverley, on the River Hull, a few miles above the town. No 
other specimen was seen, or has since been heard of in the neighbourhood. From 
