Page:VCH Buckinghamshire 1.djvu/191

Rh adjoins. These birds could always be seen flying thence over the river, and I have shot specimens, but never since I began collecting, and for some years now shooting has been stopped on the river, and I cannot say whether they are still there, but see no reason to the contrary ' (Heneage Cocks in litt.). It is to be considered whether these pigeons are not feral individuals, which very often revert to a wild state and closely resemble wild Columba tivia, or descendants of such.

146. Turtle-Dove. Turtur communis, Selby. Turtur turtur (Linn.).

A common summer bird, not arriving before the last week in April or early in May.

147. Pallas's Sand-Grouse. Syrrhaptes paradoxus (Pallas).

' During the visitation of this species in 1888 my grandfather saw a flock of birds at Farnham Royal, which from his description were undoubtedly of these birds. I was un- fortunately unable to see them on going to the place about an hour afterwards ' (A. F. Grossman in litt.). W. Rothschild saw three flying overhead when shooting near Halton in 1896.

148. Capercaillie. Tetrao urogallus, Linn.

A pair was shot in autumn 1855 at Burn- ham Beeches (Kennedy, p. 182). The author believes that they ' must have escaped from confinement.'

149. Black Grouse. Tetrao tetrix, Linn.

In the Field (xxii. 297, September 19, 1863) we find the following interesting note : ' Lord Curzon presents his compliments to the editor of the Field, and begs to inform him that his keeper shot a very fine black- cock in the woods near Penn House, Amer- sham. Lord C. is quite unaware from whence this bird could have come ; he has been seen during the summer, and has been sent to the Earl Howe, at Gopsall near Atherstone.' In 1815, according to Kennedy (p. 56), speci- mens were turned out in Berkshire, and the author says that the last of these which came under his notice was one of which the Rev. Bryant Burgess told him that it was killed on Hyde Heath near Chesham in 1852. Possibly this was also a descendant of the stock turned out in Berkshire in 1815 (?).

150. Pheasant. Phasianus colckicus, Linn.

(The above name is the one adopted by Mr. Saunders, but the ordinary English pheasant or to-day being a cross between P. colchicus and P. torquatus, more resembling the latter, inas- much as almost every specimen has a wide white ring, the above name is somewhat illogical.)

Large numbers are reared in many places, and many are breeding wild in the woods, though of course pheasants are introduced birds. No other species has established it- self, though Japanese and other species have often been reared and crossed with English pheasants.

[The Californian quail has been turned out in various places, but, unlike the pheasant, has not become an established species at all. In 1867 they were breeding successfully near Great Marlow, and in 1897 a specimen was shot near Newport Pagnell.]

151. Partridge. Perdix cinerea, Latham.

(Perdix perdix is the name we would pre- fer for the partridge.)

Common, except in wooded parts.

152. Red-legged Partridge. Caccabis rufa (Linn.).

Also fairly numerous, though somewhat local, being fonder of dry ground than of low meadows. It is now as much a wild bird as the grey partridge, though originally, but more than a century ago, introduced.

153. Quail. Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre. The quail is now decidedly rare. Wher- ever it is anything like common its delightful ' wet-my-lips ' is heard in the fields in spring and summer, and it is flushed in September when walking up partridges. Now however one may walk through the fields in autumn for days without coming across a single quail, and ride or walk through the county for many miles in spring without hearing the call. Last year E. Hartert was cycling over the greater part of the county and heard the quail only twice near Cheddington and Leighton Buzzard. Until three years ago we heard its call near Marsworth in June, but even then it was a rare bird. Even in 1868 Clark Kennedy called it 'not common.' He then told us that ' the majority of quails which were ob- tained were shot either in May or September.' Now nobody will be brutal enough to shoot quail in May ; such habits must have de- creased their number, but nevertheless the high farming and drainage have probably done more than persecution to make the quail so rare.

154. Land-Rail or Corn-Crake. Crex pratensis, Bechstein. Crex crex (Linn.).

The land-rail is nowhere numerous, but we have heard its unmistakable call-note in spring and summer near Marsworth, Chesham, Ayles.