30 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



Sand-grouse are usually divided by scientists into 

 two genera, Pterocles and Syrrhaptes. Of these the 

 former are by far the more abundant, numbering as 

 they do some fifteen species. The Syrrliaptes only 

 include two species, both inhabitants of Asia, viz. 

 the Tibetan sand-grouse {Syrrhaptes tihetanus) and 

 Pallas's sand-grouse {SyrrhaiJtes 'paradoxus), the latter 

 of which has become at certain intervals well known 

 in England by its extraordinary migration hither. 

 This genus, the Syrrliaptes, although much resem- 

 bling the other members of the sand-grouse family, 

 has a special development of foot, which renders it 

 remarkable. This foot peculiarity consists in the 

 encasement of the three anterior toes in a covering 

 which has been very well compared to a " fingerless 

 glove." The strange and sometimes abundant mi- 

 gration of Pallas's sand-grouse to Western Europe 

 has never yet been reasonably explained. Probably 

 an abnormal scarcity of food in its own Asiatic 

 territories — it ranges usually from Northern China 

 almost to the borders of Europe — has a good deal 

 to do with these periodical incursions. This sand- 

 grouse has invaded Britain, in recent years, in 1863, 

 72, 76, '88, and '89. The last invasion, 1888-9, will 

 be long remembered by sportsmen and naturalists. 

 Large numbers of these beautiful birds were seen 

 and shot in many districts, as many as sixty having 

 been counted in a single flock. At first they were 



