v PTEROCLIDAE 323 
or clucking sound; though that of Syrrhaptes appears to be 
hoarser, and has been syllabled as “truck-turuck” and “ caga- 
caga” in S. paradoaus and S. tibetanus respectively. The alarm- 
note is of a croaking nature. The food consists of seeds, tender 
shoots, bulbous grass-roots, and insects, or even of berries, peas, and 
beans; while the birds flock to drink at certain favourite spots, and 
are variously stated to take continuous or interrupted draughts. 
The nest is a mere hollow in the soil, frequently lined with a 
little grass; the three oval, but peculiarly cylindrical, eggs vary 
from whitish to buff, or greenish in Syrrhaptes, and are marked 
with brown, reddish, and violet. Both sexes assist in incuba- 
tion, which lasts from twenty-five to twenty-eight days. Opinions 
vary as to the edible quality of the flesh. 
Fic. 65.—Pallas’s Sand-Grouse. Syrrhaptes paradoxus. 
epee 
eeacos 
Pterocles arenarius, ranging from the Canary Islands, North 
Africa, and Madagascar to South Europe and Central Asia, has 
dark grey upper parts, with orange-yellow markings, except on 
the white-tipped primaries and tail; the chestnut throat 
surmounts a black patch, which is succeeded by a breast of the 
same dove-colour as the head, crossed by a black band; the belly 
being black also. The bill is horn-coloured, the feet are greyish. 
The female is buff, barred above and spotted below with black ; 
her throat is yellowish-white, and the black areas on her lower 
surface are asin the male. LP. decoratus of East Africa, P. bicinetus 
and P. variegatus of South Africa, P. coronatus and P. lichtensteini, 
extending from the Sahara and Kordofan respectively to North- 
West India, P. gutturalis of East Africa, P. personatus of Mada- 
gascar, P. fasciatus of India—the only species peculiar to Asia 
and P. quadricinctus, found from Senegambia to Abyssinia, are 
fairly similar to the above, though chiefly sandy in some cases. 
Pteroclurus alchata, absurdly termed “ Perdrix d’Angleterre ” 
