Notes on Sand Grouse. By George Bolam. 549 



bottom of a hedge-row, close to the Edrington Eoad, and pulling 

 up his horse, he watched it for some minutes, easily identifying 

 it from stuffed specimens which he had recently seen in Berwick. 

 On 29th August, a bird, which, from its description was probably 

 a Sand Grouse, was seen upon the Magdalen fields near to 

 Berwick pier, and on being disturbed, flew straight out to sea. 



A flock of eighteen was seen by Mr Nesbit upon the sea 

 banks at Scremerston, two miles south of Berwick, about the 

 end of May, and thirteen were noticed by Mr Watson, feeding 

 in a field of young corn, on the side of the road leading from 

 Beal to Holy Island, about the same time ; two others flying 

 past him as he was crossing the sands on his way to the Island 

 a few minutes later. About the second or third week in May, a 

 pair was shot upon the Snook End, Holy Island, and a day or 

 two afterwards, near the same place, five more were killed from 

 a flock at one shot, by the same person. On or about the 20th 

 June, a considerable flock was seen upon a field of barley near 

 Lowick ; from twelve to twenty birds having appeared at 

 Laverock Law, about two miles south of that village, ten days 

 or a fortnight previously. On 8th June, a solitary Sand Grouse 

 occurred near Chillingham Castle ; I had been fishing, and was 

 standing on the banks of the Till, talking with Spraggon the 

 keeper, when it suddenly made its appearance and passed close 

 over our heads. It was. flying very rapidly as though much 

 frightened, and uttering a continuous "tuck " " tuck '' " tuck " 

 much resembling the call of Blackgame when on the wing. A 

 dozen Swallows, which were in pursuit, evidently regarded the 

 stranger with suspicion, and the whirr made by its wings was 

 considerable, as it dashed over our heads and disappeared 

 through some trees growing close by. 



On 1st August, Mr John Eobertson saw two flying over the 

 saltgrass between Goswick and Beal. 



In the hands of bird-stuffers in Newcastle, I at different times 

 examined many specimens killed in Northumberland and 

 .Durham, the great majority of which were males, and principally 

 obtained during the spring or early summer months. Mr Robert 

 Duncan of Pilgrim Street, though not always in a position to 

 give dates and localities, has favoured me with the following 

 information regarding some of the birds which passed through 

 his hands. On May 21st, he received two (both males) from 

 St. Mary's Island at the mouth of the Tyne. On 1st June, 



