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singular way of feeding their young that pigeons have—the female 
disgorging from her own crop, food, partially digested, into the crop 
of the young bird. I have also two specimens of my own of 
another species, the large Sand Grouse, or Ganga (Ptarenariu), 
from Bombay. This species is common in India during the cold 
season, from the end of September to March. It seems, like most 
of its family, to be confined to open plains during the day, and 
flies in vast flocks. It has the same habit as the Singed Sand 
Grouse of going regularly twice a day to drink: and it generally 
seeks its food on grassy plains and stubble fields, early in the 
morning and again at dusk. Its flight is exceedingly strong and 
rapid, and, as its flesh is remarkably good, it is one of the most 
esteemed of the game birds of India. In rising from the ground 
these birds make the same peculiar rattling noise with their wings 
as a flight of pigeons. They have a curious way of catching this 
species in the Canary Islands. Small paths leading to their 
drinking places are made by placing rows of stones. Over these 
the birds will not step, owing to the shortness of their legs. They 
run down the paths, and are then easily taken in nooses. 
To return now to the bird the more immediate subject of this 
paper. Pallas’ Sand Grouse is not, strictly speaking, a true British 
bird at all. It isnot known to have occurred in the British Islands 
previous to the year 1859, and that is the reason why it is not 
mentioned in ‘‘ Yarrell’s History of British Birds,” or in any work 
on English ornithology published prior to that date. Ihe bird 
exists in great numbers in Central Asia, which is its proper home. 
It is found all through the Asiatic Continent, from the Caspian Sea 
to the east coast. It extends as far south as the Himalaya Mountains, 
but how far north it extends I am unable to say. 
In the winter of 1860, which you will remember was the year 
of the Chinese war, this species was particularly abundant on the 
plains between Pekin and Tientsin and on the banks of the river 
Peiho downwards. They formed a welcome addition to the food of 
the English and French soldiers. Several living specimens were 
brought home to England by officers attached to the expedition, 
and amongst others Mr. James Stuart Wortley presented no less 
than 84 to the Zoological Society, out of 73 which he started with ; 
and one of these birds laid several eggs in confinement. 
In 1858 Pallas’ Sand Grouse is mentioned by Herr Moschler as 
a very rare species, ina list of birds met with at Sarepta in the 
Lower Wolga, and this appears to be the earliest authentic record 
of its actual occurrence in Europe. Early in July, 1859, a male 
specimen was killed near King’s Lynn, in Norfolk, an4 is now in 
the museum of that town. This bird was alone when it was shot, 
but at least one other, apparently of the same species, was observed 
