178 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
wings about five feet, but the exact measurement has not 
been given/' — John oQroat Journal. 
This specimen is in the possession of Mr Keid, bookseller, 
Kirkwall, and I am indebted to Mr H. Osborne, Wick, for 
the account of its capture. I have also been favoured with 
a letter from Mr R. I. Shearer, Ulbster, about this capture 
of the crane. He considers they were not birds escaped 
from confinement, the possibility of which I had suggested 
to him ; as they were very wild and shy of approach, and 
as the pair were seen together at the first, he therefore 
believes it is an addition to our British birds, being the 
first time it has been noticed in our Island. 
2. Syrrhaptes paradoxus — the Sand-Grouse or Pallas Sand- 
Grouse. In June last several flocks of these very rare birds 
were observed in different parts, especially of the east of 
Scotland. 
I have had an opportunity of examining several specimens, 
both of males and females. 
A male bird was shot near Montrose, where a small flock 
was observed, and several specimens, I believe, were captured. 
A flock was also noticed near Berwick, and two males and 
two females were shot on the 12th of June 1863. These 
birds were in fine plumage, and by the kindness of Mr 
Sanderson, George Street, were carefully examined by me. 
The black bands of the male are represented by a rich 
brown in the female, and the central projecting tail feathers 
were much longer in the males, which were not smaller 
than the females. Their stomachs contained white turnip 
seed. 
In the neighbourhood of Seacliff, East Lothian, a male 
bird was shot on the 17th of June ; and a male bird 
was also killed at Leithhead, near Kirknewton, on the 
same day ; its stomach contained seeds of the brown bent 
grass. A young bird was taken alive on Paisley Moss in 
July 1863. It was the only one observed there, and allowed 
itself to be "captured by the hand. The bird was in the pos- 
session of Mr Small, bird-stuffer, George Street here, and I 
saw it run nimbly about the cage in which it was confined. 
