OF jSrOETHTTMBEKLAND ANT) DTJEHAM. 87 



Order IV. GALLING, Linncens. 

 Famixt. PTEEOCLID^, Bonaparte. 

 90. SYRRHAPTES, IlKger. 

 1. Pahas's Satstd Geoitse. S. paradoxus, {Fallas.) 



Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Degland et Gerbe, Orn. Europ., II., 28. 

 ,, ,, Goiild, Birds of Gt. Britain, Part lY. 



A casual visitant. In 1863, at the time of the great visitation 

 of this eastern bird to Europe, twenty -two or twenty -three spe- 

 cimens of it were killed within onr district, as recorded in my 

 notice on the subject printed in the sixth volume of the " Tran- 

 sactions of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club," p. 100. I 

 have received, since then, three additional examples, two males 

 and one female, that were killed at the same time, near Port 

 Clarence, at the mouth of the Tees. These can scarcely be the 

 three birds alluded to, as occiu-ring in that neighbourhood, by 

 Prof. N'ewton, in his valuable paper in the sixth volume of 

 " The Ibis," " On the irruption of Pallas' s Sand Grouse," for of 

 those so recorded two were females and one a male. 



The first that were taken in England, on this visitation, were 

 thi'ee that were shot out of a flock of twelve or fourteen, near 

 Thropton, on the Coquet, on the 21st of May, and mentioned in 

 my notice. Eor two of these, which are now in my possession, 

 I am indebted to the late Mr. "William Eeay, of Thi-opton. 



In ''The Ibis" for July, 1872, p. 334, it is stated by Dr. 

 Tristram, that the Sand Grouse was observed on the coast of 

 Northumberland, opposite to the Earne Islands, and that a spe- 

 cimen was shot, and examined by the Eev. Charles Thorpe. 



A letter from the latter gentleman, received on the 2nd of 

 June, 1873, informs me that he "did not see the Sand Grouse 

 last year, but on the 18th of May, 1872, Mr. T. Caldwell 

 told me he had been in pursuit of them on the 16th and had 

 shot one, but having allowed it to remain on the ground to 

 attract the others, it so far recovered as to rise and fly on his 

 approaching." 



