16 



A CORNISH FAUNA. 



Bee-eater, Merops ((piaster. The only instances of the occurrence 

 of this bird in this county was the capture of a flock of 

 twelve near Helston, in 1828, and which came into the 

 possession of the late George Borlase, Esq., of that place ; 

 and, on the authority of Mr. Couch, of Polperro, four speci- 

 mens were seen in the parish of Madron. 



Kingfisher, Alcedo hispida ; generally observed on the sea-coast ; 

 nowhere common, but generally observed, from its attractive 

 metallic colours. 



Swallow, Hirundo rustica; summer visitant: universally distri- 

 buted. 



Martin, II. urhica ; summer visitant : universally distributed. 



Sand Martin, S. riparia ; summer visitant : generally distributed 

 in the neighbourhood of, and within reach of sandbanks. 



Common Swift, Cypselus apus ; locally distributed. 



Alpine Swift, C. Alpinus ; very rare : one example taken near 

 the Lizard, and afterwards preserved by Mr. Jackson, of 

 Looe. One specimen of the Alpine swift in adult plumage 

 was captured in the parish of Mylor, in the summer of 1859. 



Nightjar, Caprimulgus Eur opens ; locally distributed. 



Easoees, 



Ring Dove, Columba palumbus ; generally distributed. 



Stock Dove, C. cenas ; rare in the western counties : two specimens 



obtained from Scilly a few years since. 

 Rock Dove, C. livia ; found occasionally in the cliffs on the south 



coast of Cornwall, about Looe and Polperro. 

 Turtle Dove, C. turtur ; summer visitant : generally observed in 



more or less numbers, in the spring months, in sheltered 



valleys. 



Black Grouse, Tetrao tetrix ; very rare in Cornwall : occasionally 

 seen in the eastern moors. 



Pallas' s Sand Grouse, Syrrhaptes paradoxus. The general distri- 

 bution of a flight of this oriental species (which has hitherto 

 only been noticed in the great sand deserts in western Asia, 

 and in the eastern portions of Europe) over the whole of the 

 British Isles, from John o'Groat's house to the Land's End 

 and the Scilly Isles, and from Norfolk to Ireland, during 

 the summer of 1863, entitles it to be ranked amongst the 

 British wild birds. Some specimens showed eggs in the 



