PALLAS'S SAND-GROUSE 



SYRRHAPTES PARADOXUS {Pall.). 



Tetrao paradoxa, Pall., Reise Russ. Reichs, ii. App. p. 712 

 (1773). 



Syrrliaptes paradoxus, Yarr. ed. 4, iii. p. 31 ; Dresser, vii. 

 p. 75. 



Syrrhapte paradoxal, French ; Steppen-Huhn, German. 



I must preface my remarks upon this beautiful 

 wanderer from Asia by confessing that I have no per- 

 sonal acquaintance whatever with it in a wild state, and 

 will therefore endeavour to the best of my ability to 

 summarize in a few lines the mass of records relating 

 to its appearances in the United Kingdom, and beg 

 my readers to understand that, where not otherwise 

 specified, I quote from my friend Professor Newton's 

 article in the 'Ibis' of 18 04, from which it appears 

 that the earliest recorded occurrence of this species in 

 England took place early in July 1859, at Walpole, 

 St. Peter's, Norfolk ; two more were seen, and one of 

 them shot near Tremadoc, Carnarvonshire, on the 9th 

 of the same month; and another was killed at New 

 Romney, Kent, in November of the same year. In 

 1863 the earliest record of appearance is that of a flock 

 of fourteen, out of which three were secured, near 



