138 
BIRDS OF LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND. 
convinced must have been Pallas’s Sand-Grouse. He told me that, on the 
Sunday previous, June 3rd, in company with two ladies and one gentleman, he was 
walking in fields belonging to Mr. Bates of Swithland, when he saw a small flock 
of birds rise from a field of young barley, and which, from their size, his friend 
thought might possibly be a very early covey of Ked-legged Partridges. Mr. How, 
from the great length of wing and strength of the birds, judged them to be some 
kind of sea-bird allied to the Terns, which might have strayed from Cropston, 
wdiere such birds are not unfrequently seen. The birds flew over into fields 
belonging to Mr. Pepper. 
“IMr. How informed me that Green, waggoner to Mr. Bates, had also seen 
them, and to him we accordingly went. From Green we learnt that on Tuesday, 
June 5th, whilst ploughing, a flock of twelve birds had alighted in the field and 
come within a few yards of him at his work, without evincing the least alarm. 
They appeared to be searching for grubs or worms, and kept so much together 
that Green assured me seven out of the twelve could easily have been killed at 
one shot. He described them as of a light brown colour, with very long wings, 
feet feathered to the toes, and a black patch above the legs. Green was very 
particular about this black patch. ‘ They did not hop, nor run like a Starling, but 
walked.’ So near did they come that Green was tempted into throwing at them. 
The twelve immediately arose, uttering a curious chuckling noise, and flew over 
into Mr. Pepper’s land. In conclusion Green said that ‘ they were the prettiest 
kind of bird he ever see, more like foreign birds than any he’d seen in them parts.’ 
“ The next day to that on which Green saw them, they appeared at Kinchley 
Hill Farm, belonging to Mr. Bates, near Buddon Wood, where they were fired at 
by his man ‘ Joe,’ who, I am sorry to say, says he wounded one, but not fatally. 
The flock flew away, and although a keen look-out has been kept for them since, 
they have not again been seen, so that 1 think it very probable they have alto- 
gether deserted the district. 
“ The land on which all the observers have noticed them lies between the 
village of Swithland and Buddon Wood, and although Mr. How and myself 
carefully worked the whole district on Friday, our search was unsuccessful, and, 
since Wednesday, June 6th, they have not again appeared. From the evidence 
collected, I am convinced that the birds could have been nothing else but SyiT- 
haptes paradoxus^ and in this conclusion I think you will agree with me.” 
In Rutland. — Unlike my record for licicestershire, I am enabled to point to 
a specimen, actually obtained, of this rare and interesting straggler, which I saw 
in the possession of the Right Hon. Gerard Noel, of Catmose, Oakham, — a nice 
specimen (though shockingly mounted) which was shot by IMr. Noel’s keeper at 
Cottesmore, on 30th May, 1888. Masters writes me that he saw four Sand-Grouse 
flying close together at Burley, on iJ9th Dec,, 1888, and he, being a good observer, 
is not likely to have been mistaken. 
