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THE BIRDS OF BRECONSHIRE. 



By E. Cambridge Phillips, 



Member of the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club. 



(Continued from p. 50.) 



Before concluding my notes on the game-birds, it will be 

 interesting to state that a few years since two very curious 

 hybrids were killed in the neighbourhood of Builth— a cross 

 between the Pheasant and Black Grouse. Both have been 

 preserved, and are now in the possession of a gentleman in that 

 town. A friend of mine who has inspected them tells me that 

 they partake of the shape and plumage of both parents in a 

 marked degree, and that the cross is distinctly visible ; he also 

 says that they are apparently birds of the year. 



Collared Pratincole, Glareola pratincola — One of these 

 curious birds was seen near Hay, in Breconshire, some time 

 since by the brothers of Mr. Baskerville, of Clyro Court. They 

 are quite certain it was the Collared Pratincole, for it alighted 

 several times, and allowed them to walk close to it. They knew 

 the bird well, as they had both been stationed in South Africa, 

 where they had often observed it. 



The Stone Curlew, (Edicnemus crepitans.— We have not this 

 bird with us, nor have I ever heard of its being seen here, although 

 one would imagine that our hills were well suited to its habits. 



Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis.— Resident with us ; it 

 breeds sparingly on some portions of the Eppynt hills, and' on 

 the hills between Llanafawfawr and Nantgwilt it breeds in some 

 numbers. It also breeds on the range of hills stretching from 

 the Sugar Loaf, near Llanwrtyd, to Llanafanfawr. Occasionally 

 it comes down to the lowlands, but very seldom ; it is essentially 

 a bird of the hills. In the severe winters of the last and preceding 

 years large flocks frequented the fields at Newton, close to Brecon, 

 and remained for a considerable time. 



Lapwing, Vanellus cristatus.—Veij common with us all the 

 year round ; it breeds all over the county. The Welsh call it 

 by the appropriate name of " Cornicell" (the bird with the little 

 horn). 



Dotterel, Endromias morinellus. — A friend of mine has 

 seen this bird near Abergwessin, and I was recently shown a 



