JPBESIDENTIAL ADDEESS. 413 



of the Grouse were full of eggs. From December 5th they were 

 lost sight of until January 19th, when a flock of thirty was seen 

 in a dry part of the old Wicken Fen near Newmarket. They 

 were again seen on February 9th by Mr. Fred. Johnson, the 

 owner of the fen, an excellent observer and protector of birds ; 

 and the same gentleman saw them again on April 15th. 



Although large numbers were captured and killed in 1888, 

 there was not, I am happy to state, the same wanton slaughter 

 and destruction as characterized the visit of this rare bird in 

 1863, which was called " the time of the great visitation." 



Mr. Thomas Thompson, one of our Secretaries, has in his col- 

 lection a Sand Grouse that was shot near Swalwell, on the 

 Derwent, on May 28th, last year. Three days previous to that 

 time a male specimen was shot at Whickham, and Mr. Thompson 

 examined this as well as another male on June 26th. The latter 

 was alive but unable to fly, and was in a very miserable state. 

 The poor bird had its lower mandible broken short off, probably 

 by a shot from a gun, and it was picked up in a field near 

 Lemington. 



Mr. I. Clark, of Blaydon, saw twenty Sand Grouse on a farm 

 on Holy Island on June 3rd last. They were feeding on clover 

 seed, were very tame, and were not more than ten yards distant 

 from him. 



Another bird, one of three, was shot at Frenchman's Bay, and 

 is now in the collection of Mr. Yellowley, of South Shields. 



Mr. John Hancock contributed a paper on the Captures of 

 Pallas's Sand Grouse to our Transactions some twenty or twenty- 

 five years ago, and I remember noticing at the time that Mr. 

 Hancock did not anticipate its becoming naturalised with us. 

 He considered climatic influences and the migratorv tendencies 

 of the bird as likely to prevent its remaining. 1 

 expecting that it would be mercilessly destroyed, bu; E yet hope 

 that the stringent measures which have been tak n for its pre- 

 servation by many of our landowners on whose estates it hac 

 settled for a time, and amongst whom are the Prince of "Wales, 

 Sir John Haggerstone, of Ellingham, and Sir William Crossman, 

 may have the desired result, and that Mr. Hancock may yet be 



