16 
A COBNISH FAUNA. 
Bee-eater, Merops apiaster. 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 Mspida ; generally observed on the sea-coast ; 
nowhere common, but generally observed, from its attractive 
metallic colours. 
Swallow, Mirundo rustioa; slimmer visitant : universally distri- 
buted. 
Martin, H. urlioa ; summer visitant : universally distributed. 
Sand Martin, H. riparia ; summer visitant : generally distributed 
in the neighbourhood of, and within reach of sandbanks. 
Common Swift, Oypselus opus ; locally distributed. 
Alpine Swift, C. Alp'inus ; 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, Caprimulyus Jduropeus ; locally distributed. 
Easoees, 
Eing Dove, Columba palumbus ; generally distributed. 
Stock Dove, C. ; rare in the western counties : two specimens 
obtained from Scilly a few years since. 
Eock 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 
