Ornithological Notes. 
207 
Mr Yarrell mentions their well-known occurrence in Norway 
and Sweden, and states, " there was every reason to believe 
they had formerly occurred in Scotland/' I am not aware of 
any other recent notice of these hybrids having been pre- 
viously observed in this country. 
4. Syrrhaptes Pallasii, Pallas' Sand- Grouse.* 
The specimen exhibited was taken alive in Paisley Moss 
in July 1863, and was referred to in my Notes on Birds, 
read to the Society last Session. Since that time it has been 
carefully kept in confinement, having been purchased by 
Lord Binning, it was, however, at last unfortunately killed 
by an accident about the middle of October. The bird is 
probably a young male. It wants the prolonged primaries 
of the adult, but has the pointed extremity of its central tail 
feathers, which project about 2 inches beyond the rest of the 
tail. Upper parts of head and back pale reddish brown, with 
numerous transverse markings of dark brown or black. 
The chin and throat are fawn-coloured, and it has the narrow 
dark-brown line dividing the neck from the upper part of 
the breast. The breast and front of the neck are pale greyish 
brown, and the sides of neck yellowish brown or buff, marked 
over with round spots of dark brown or black ; but no 
defined line of dark brown yet separates the breast from the 
abdomen as in the adult male. The abdomen is of a dirty 
buff, the back part being crossed by a broad band of dark 
brown, almost black ; behind, and under tail coverts, greyish 
white. 
5. Parus cceruleus, the Blue Titmouse, yellow variety. 
The specimen exhibited shows a curious variety in the 
* In a note since received from Mr K. I. Shearer, lie informs me that the 
sand-grouse which was shot near Wick, as noticed in my Notes of last session, 
had been feeding at the time on a particular kind of grass, of which he sent 
specimens, its crop being quite filled with it. Mr Shearer found " on examin- 
ing the ground that this grass only grew in certain circumscribed localities, 
and in every place where the sand-grouse had been seen for about a week 
previously to the time that one of them was shot, this grass was found more 
or less abundantly ; it grows there in certain barren spots about the sides of 
the hill tracts or horse roads." The grass sent by Mr Shearer, Professor 
Balfour kindly informs me, is the common Poa annua. 
