420 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. Freshney in the summer of 1864. I have been at considerable 

 trouble to get at the facts, and have no hesitation in saying this 

 is, in all probability, an error. Larder's birds were shot in 1863, 

 and not in 1864 as stated, and the evidence in my possession 

 seems conclusive on this point. 



In the second week in May, one which I saw in the flesh 

 was picked up dead in the parish of Little Cotes, near Grimsby. 

 Prof. Newton (' Ibis,' vol. vi. p. 205) states that, out of a flock of 

 thirteen, a male and female were shot on May 25th, at Leake, in 

 South Lincolnshire. Two were shot by Mr. Francis Cooke, of 

 Huttoft, near Alford, on the 7th or 14th of August, 1863, out of 

 a flock of about twenty flying with great speed from the eastward 

 over his head, when lying on the sand-hills near the coast. It 

 is possible these may have been the remainder of the large flock — 

 known to have been reduced to about that number — seen at 

 Saltfleet-by-all- Saints up to July, Huttoft, also a coast parish, 

 being about ten miles south of that place. 



1888. 



May 18th.* — A flock of ten or twelve in a grass-field on the 

 wold, in the parish of Irby, six miles S.W. of Grimsby ; these 

 were first observed by a boy called Grimoldby, who was tenting 

 birds ; charging his gun with shot, he succeeded in killing three, 

 and wounded a fourth, subsequently picked up. Three of these 

 were eaten, the fourth (an adult male) came into my possession. 

 The boy described them as running not unlike partridges, but 

 with a rolling sort of gait. 



May 22nd. — Four seen on Swallow "Wold, and one shot : 

 stated on the authority of the Eev. J. E. Wallis Loft, the Eector 

 of that parish. 



May 23rd. — One shot, from five, at Epworth, Isle of Axholme, 

 and recorded in ' The Field' of June 2nd, by Mr. S. Hudson. 



May 25th. — A pair reported as seen on Tetney foreshore by 

 one of Mr. G. H. Caton Haigh's keepers. 



May 28th. — Two, a male and female, shot by Mr. C. Eobson 

 in the parish of Cawkwell, near Louth, and now in the collection 

 of Mr. J. Topham, of Wooton Grange. 



* Sand Grouse are reported to have arrived at the Spurn and Flam- 

 borough Head at the same date, also in Oxfordshire and Herts. 



