CHAPTER III 



SAND-GROUSE 



Interesting group — Mixed characteristics — Protective colouring 

 — Powers of flight — Punctual habits — Drinking time — 

 Guides to water — Genera — Pallas's Sand -grouse — Appear- 

 ances in Britain — Ruthless slaughter — The genus Pterodes 

 — Its range and members — South African species — 

 " Namaqua Partridge " — Double-banded Sand -grouse — 

 Their habits — Good flight-shooting — Sand-grouse in the 

 Kalahari — Maqua Pool — Immense flights — Yellow- 

 throated and variegated Sand-grouse — Eighteen brace 

 shot — Tough skins. 



There are few more interesting groups of birds 

 than the sand-grouse. They are singularly special- 

 ized in many of their characteristics, and seem 

 created almost solely for an existence in wide and 

 waterless deserts. They exhibit a curious mingling 

 of two very different avi-faunal orders, and, from the 

 very nature of their chosen haunts, their appearance 

 and habits are little known to Europeans. Sand- 

 grouse partake strongly of the characteristics of 

 both grouse and pigeon ; so strangely is this the 

 case that even naturalists have been puzzled how 



to classify them. They resemble grouse in the 



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