PALLAS' SAND-GROUSE. 343 



Order PTEROCLETIFORMES. 



Family PTEROCLETID.'E. 



Ground birds ; bill short, curved ; wings long, pointed ; 

 tarsi shortj feathered ; toes three, united. 



Pallas' Sand-Grouse. Syrrhapies paradoxus (Pallas). 



Few birds are more puzzling than Pallas' Sand-Grouse 

 (Plate 150), for though the normal migration from its home 

 on the Mongolian and central Asiatic steppes is southerly, 

 sporadic westward irruptions or invasions scatter birds all 

 over Europe. Theories about these abnormal westward move- 

 ments are many, but do not explain the phenomena ; a surplus 

 avian population, impelled by some unexplained instinct or 

 force, strives to extend its range by emigration, and meets with 

 even less success than the human Asiatic floods which from 

 time to time have inundated western lands. In the most 

 memorable of these invasions — 1863, 1888, and 1908 — small 

 flocks were scattered over our islands, invading the east coast, 

 but travelling to the west and even to Ireland. Museums and 

 private collections contain evidence of these abortive raids. 

 In most instances the birds reached Britain in spring, and a 

 few, on sand-dunes and marshes, found congenial haunts and 

 nested, but it is doubtful if any of the young survived long, 

 though adult birds dodged gunners until the autumn, and in 

 a few instances, winter. 



In June, 1908, I just missed seeing a covey in Cheshire ; to 

 a more fortunate observer they appeared like light-coloured 

 Partridges with pigeon heads, long pointed wings and tails, 

 and remarkably swift flight which immediately recalled that 

 of the Golden Plover. The flight call was chack, chack^ but 

 he was not near enough to hear the whistling of the wings, 



