450 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



route of fli<;lit of these bii-ds. At evening, always at the 

 same time, they would travel in batches overhead, with a 

 rapid flight towards the river, after a brief time to return the 

 same way as they had come — forming shadows that grew 

 gradually less as they passed into the outer dusk. 



During our trek to Chicowa we frequently observed these 

 Sand-Grouse, as we had to cross the sandy dried-up bed of the 

 winding Mesanangue river many times in our route. At one 

 place in particular these birds mustered very strong. It was 

 at a group of pools among boulders of rock in the dried-up 

 bed of the river. Here we stopped for the night. Towards 

 dusk a great pilgrimage of Sand-Grouse visited these precious 

 grails of water. Batch after batch came noiselessly down 

 and formed themselves into dense little crowds by the water. 

 At the approach of a native they would all rise up with a 

 prolonged round of tlieir startling cries and disappear into 

 the gloom down the watercourse with the silence of Bats, but 

 only to return after a short space and drop down again to the 

 water like a shower of spent bullets. As the moon rose, they 

 commenced to feed, and remained at the pools throughout 

 the night, leaving as soon as dawn appeared. 



On August 15 we obtained a female with ovaries fully 

 developed. As J:he breeding-season approaches, the flocks 

 split up, and the pairs scatter over a considerable area of 

 country. 



Adu/t c? (Mesanangue, August 26, 1898). Total length 

 (measured in the flesh) 9"8 inches, wing 7. Iris dark brown ; 

 bill brownish black, at gape yellow ; eyelids, naked skin 

 round eye yellow ; feet brown. 



Adult ? (Mesanangue, August 14, 1898). Total length 

 (measured in the flesh) 9*9 inches, wing 6'5. Coloration as in 

 male. 



243. Balearica regulorum (Bennett). 



Balearica chrysopelargus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds, xxiii. p. 274. 



A party of three alighted on the river near Zumbo on 

 December 2. An individual was observed in captivit\' at 

 Matacania. 



