92 NOTES.
Society be requested to take into consideration the desirability of placing on record,
on the large Ordnance Maps of the county with which they are concerned, all the
local names of fields, and all relics of antiquity for which a locality can be fixed ;
and that such maps should be kept in duplicate, so that eventually a copy may be
deposited with the Society of Antiquaries." The question of the preservation of
ancient monuments and buildings was next discussed. General Pitt-Rivers, In-
spector of Ancient Monuments, gave an interesting account of the working of the
Act under which he was appointed. Eventually, Mr. J. T. Micklethwaite pro-
posed, and Mr. Leveson-Gower seconded, the following resolution :—"That all
local Societies be requested to be on the watch against any wilful or injudicious
destruction of ancient monuments or buildings, so as at once to bring local opinion
to bear against the destroyers, and in cases that appear to be of national impor-
tance, the aid of the Society of Antiquaries, or of the Inspector of Ancient
Monuments, be invoked." A third subject brought before the Conference was
the publication of Parish Registers, introduced by Mr. Ralph Neville, about which
there was some little difference of opinion. The result was the nomination of a
small committee to deal with the subject, and to report to the different societies in
union. The Rev. Dr. Cox brought forward the subject of provincial records, and
spoke in favour of the proposal to make the County Councils responsible for their
due preservation. After much discussion the general opinion seemed to be that
the delegates could not pledge themselves to the support of any definite scheme at
the present Conference; but it was moved by Dr. Cox, and seconded by Mr. W.
G. Hardy, and unanimously carried : "That the attention of the local Societies in
union be called to the proposed Bill entitled, 'An Act for the Preservation of
Public and Private Records,' which it appears may provide for a long-recognized
want." The next Conference was fixed for July, 1890.
Pallas's Sand Grouse in Essex.—I have much pleasure in again recording
these birds in our county. On 19th July, about a dozen passed over St. Swithin's
Farm, Barking Side, close by the homestead ; and not a hundred yards away
from the spot in the opposite field, where the covey of sixteen alighted on 4th June,
1888 (vide Essex Naturalist, vol. ii., p. 63). They were flying in a southerly
direction over a field of wheat, and very low, only three or four feet above the
wheat. They were seen by Mr. Bolton, the tenant, and several others, who had
not only seen the live birds last year, but also the two specimens which were then
shot. A short note of the above by Mr. L. Hatton appeared in the "Field" of
27th July last. These birds have again been seen, close by the stackyard, on
10th August, by Mr. Hatton and another. I was away from home at the time,
but have since learned that a covey of about twelve were seen early in the month
of July, about 3 J miles away, near Lawn Farm, on part of the cleared Fairlop
Plain. These are doubtless some of the birds which came over last year, and
have survived the winter, as I believe we have no certain record of there having
nested in this country ; and on enquiry, I found that they were all apparently old
birds. Mr. Whitaker, F.Z.S., records in the "Field" of 13th July, that one
was seen flying, during the last week of May, in Nottinghamshire, in the same
locality as they appeared last year. I trust we may yet have other records of the
appearance of the Sand Grouse in other parts of Essex.—Walter Crouch,
F.Z.S., nth August, 1889.
Breeding of Pallas's Sand-Grouse in Britain in 1889.—At the meeting
of the Biological Section of the British Association at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Prof.
Newton made some remarks "On Syrrhaptes paradoxus as a Native of Britain,"
exhibiting a specimen of one which could not have been more than two or three
days old. This little bird was caught in the North of Scotland, on August 8th
last, and was received by Prof. Newton the next day. He also exhibited a
drawing of the same by Mr. Frohawk, which will be reproduced in Prof.
Newton's forthcoming paper in "The Ibis."
Kingfisher's and other Nests at Berechurch.—I have had much pleasure
lately in being able to save the nest of a Kingfisher in Mr. Shead's brick-yard at
Berechurch, and the method I adopted from its success may be useful on other
similar occasions. Mr. Shead kindly gave all the assistance he could, but I do