i\72 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL KIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI 



of the Panapakkam forest and some 20 miles distant) and had reported 

 the same to the Society. I regret to state that my bird was too much 

 knocked about for preservation. 



H. DAWSON. 



Chittook, S.I., 

 15th February 1919. 



(This is an interesting' record as apparently the furthest South this Dove has 

 been recorded on the East Coast is inland from Masulipatam (vide Stuart Baker"s 

 Indian Pigeons and Doves). There is however a skin in the British Museum 

 Collection labelled "Madras " and presented by the Eev. H. H. Baber, but whether 

 Madras town or Presidency is meant it is impossible to say. — Eds.) 



No. XIX.— HABITS OF THE PAINTED SAND GROUSE 

 {PTEROCLES FASCIATUS). 



I was taken this evening by a friend of mine to a spot well known to him 

 about 20 miles South of Mirzapur where the Painted Sand Grouse came 

 and scratched in the evening. It is a small bit of ground about 30 ft. long- 

 entirely bared of grass by these "Painters" which come and scratch there 

 at dusk, the earth having presumably some peculiar attraction. The birds 

 come in large numbers just at sunset and the same place is apparently 

 used year after year. They must come from far oft' as I have never heard 

 of any of these birds being shot within 10 miles or so of the place. 

 On the occasion of my visit only two "Painters" arrived when it was 

 getting dusk so we left. The vernacular name of this bird in this district 

 is " Gutila titar." As to their nesting season here, young birds are 

 generally found strong on the wing at the end of July. 



G. O. ALLEN, i.o.s. 

 MiRZAPUK, 1st February 1913. 



No. XX.— SAND GROUSE IN MESOPOTAMIA. 



In his ' Corrections to the List of Birds from Fao' republished in "Miscel- 

 laneous Notes" of Vol. XXVI, No. 1 of the Journal, Mr. W. D. Camming 

 includes P. exustus with the remark that "Grouse are seen and heard flying 

 over Fao which, with the aid of binoculars, I thought might be this bird." 

 It would be of interest both to sportsmen and ornithologists in Mesopota- 

 mia to know if this species has been shot, South of Tekrit. Personally 

 I much doubt its occurrence in Mesopotamia, and feel pretty sure that 

 the birds Cumming observed, and was doubtful of, were P. sensgallus. 

 During a sojourn of nearly 3 years in this country I have never known of 

 any example of The Common Sandgrouse {P. exustus) being brought to bag. 

 Barring rare stragglers the following are the only Sand Grouse likely to 

 be met with in Mesopotamia, their status being as shown : — 



P. arenarius The Imperial Sand Grouse. A cold weather visitor in 



small numbers to deserts north of Amara. 

 P. alchata The Large Pintailed Sand Grouse. The common resident 

 Sand Grouse of Mesopotamia. North of Amara it occurs 

 in vast flocks. 

 P. seneyallus The spotted Sand Grouse. Residents but not nearly so 

 common as the last, except near Basra where it breeds 

 in considerable numbers. 

 P. licktenstemi ( arabius ? ) The Close-barred Sand Grouse are not 

 probably resident. 



