PTEROCLID.E. 243 



to make their appearance at the water about eight or 

 nine o'clock in the morning in immense flocks, circling 

 round the water at a considerable height before they 

 descend, and adding to their numbers at almost every 

 turn they take. Frequently they make no attempt at a 

 descent until they are directly over the spot they intend 

 to visit, when they suddenly descend with great velocity, 

 at the same time describing more or less of a semicircle 

 before they alight. 



This species feeds on seeds, berries, and small bulbs, 

 and swallows gravel freely to assist its digestion. 



Its eggs are deposited on the sand, and are of a 

 drabbish colour closely spotted with grey and brown ; 

 they are oval and less elongated than those of P. 

 hicinctus. 



The iris is very dark brown ; the skin round the eye is 

 a somewhat pale yellow ; the bill is bluish, tinged with 

 white on the lower mandible. 



Measurements of a female : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length 11 



Length of folded wing .... 6 5 



„ tarsus 11 



„ middle toe 9 



tail .3 6 



bill 7 



[Mr. Andersson does not allude to the occurrence of this 

 species in Great and Little Naraaqua Land; but Mr. Layard 

 {loc. cit.) speaks of it as '' very abundant on the arid karroo 

 plains throughout the Colony and Namaqua Land.'^ 



This Sand-Grouse has not been figured. — Ed.] 



