42 PTEROCLID/E. 



becomes liot, they rest, scratching a hole in the ground, and, 

 like barn-door fowls, working themselves in comfortably, 

 lying on one side, with their usually smooth plumage puffed 

 out. They do not place a sentinel, but sit motionless, their 

 black- sprinkled plumage assimilating so well with the soil 

 that they can scarcely be distinguished. When disturbed 

 they rise, uttering a cry, and fly ofl" with great rapidity, as do 

 all that hear the alarm-cry, although not belonging to the 

 same flock. They first pack together, then divide into small 

 flocks, and by degrees return to their resting-places. So 

 swift are they on the wing, that it is scarcely possible for 

 the fastest Falcon to catch them ; and their flight is more 

 rapid and straighter than that of the Pigeon. I doubt, 

 however, if they can run far, as, when I have been watching 

 them, although they ran swiftly, they did not continue for 

 any distance. It is curious how the large flocks migrate 

 away in the summer. I had a peculiar instance of this 

 from personal observation. Late in May I went to visit the 

 Aral Island, in the Tarei-nor, and had to pass the large 

 tract where the lake was dried out ; and in the forenoon I 

 saw a number of flocks of Sand-grouse which inhabited this 

 place, and were so shy that I could not possibly approach 

 them, so, after many unsuccessful attempts to shoot them, I 

 gave up the chase till the evening. At sunset they had 

 collected into two large flocks of at least a thousand indi- 

 viduals each, and were making a great noise ; and it was 

 now impossible to approach them. After being several times 

 disturbed, they left the shores of the Tarei-nor and went to 

 the neighbouring wintering-place of the flocks (of sheep, &c.), 

 where, from the numerous droppings, there was always a 

 large blackish-brown patch on the sterile steppe. Here 

 they remained undisturbed, as the darkness prevented me 

 from following them ; but they continued calling loudly. 

 On the next day none were to be seen ; and later on I did 

 not see one. The herdsmen also assured me that there 

 were no Sand-grouse left, but that they would return in 

 autumn ; and such proved to be the case ; for in October, 

 when north of the Dalai-nor, a large, noisy flock passed 



