242 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



[This fine Sand-Grouse is at present nnfigurecl. I have not 

 personally examined a Damara example of this species; but a 

 charaeteristic portrait of it by Mr. Baines Avas included in Mr. 

 Andersson's collection of drawings of Damara birds. — Ed.] 



.'287. Pterocles variegatus, Burch. Variegated Sand-Grouse. 



Pteroclcs variefjatus, Burcliell's Travels in S. Africa, vol. ii. p. 345. 

 ,, „ Sinitirs Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 10 (male). 



„ „ Strickland & Sclater, Birds Daniar., Cont. Orn. 



1852, p. 157, 

 „ ,, Layard's Cat. No. 538. 



„ ,, Chapman's Travels in S, Afi-., App. p. 412. 



„ „ Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 94G5. 



This species is not uncommon in the northern and 

 middle parts of Damara Land, as well as in the Lake- 

 regions ; but I do not recollect having met with it further 

 to the south. It feeds on seeds, berries, and roots, and 

 frequents its drinking-places early in the morning. Its 

 flesh is tough like that of its congeners. 



The mode of drinking adopted by this and by other 

 South-African Sand-Grouse resembles, as has been 

 already mentioned, that which I have described m the 

 case of the wild Guinea-fowl. 



[I have not seen an example of this species from Damara 

 Land ; but Mr. Andersson^s identification of it is confirmed by 

 Messrs. Strickland and Sclater {loc. cit.). — Ed.] 



288. PterOClurus namaqua (Gmcl.). Namaqua Sand-Grouse. 

 Pterocles tachypetes, Layard's Cat. No. 535. 

 Pteroclurns namaqua, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 94G8, 



This Sand-Grouse is very abundant in some parts 

 of Damara Land, where these birds may be observed 



