574 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
and feet, in life, coral-red and orange. 'The female wants the black, 
on the head, throat, &c., and is altogether more dull in colour; tail 
much elongated and graduated. Length, 104”; wing, 4” ; tail, 5’9’”. 
Fig. Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afr. pls. 273, 274, 275. 
Fam. PTEROCLIDZ. 
556. PrerocLes NAMAQUA, Gm. Namaqua Sand-grouse. 
Pterocles tachypetes, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 277. 
The “ Namaqua Patrys” of the colonists is very abundant on 
the arid karroo plains throughout the colony and Namaqua Land. It 
congregates in small parties of one or two families, as may easily be 
seen from the age of the various individuals, which is marked by 
their plumage. It runs with considerable swiftness, and its flight is 
extremely rapid. While on the wing, it utters a shrill “ tweet,” 
which may be heard at a vast distance, and resembles the piping of 
a Plover, for which, till well accustomed to the sound, we have often 
mistaken it—indeed, the whole appearance of the bird, whether flying 
or running, reminds one of the Plover. It occasionally, during great 
droughts, extends its migrations as far as the Cape Flats; but of 
late years their visitations have been few and far between. Two or 
three eggs are laid, of a light cream-coloured ground, spotted with 
brown and purple, oblong, rounded, or semi-circular at both ends: 
axis, 17” ; diameter, 12’. The nest is only a depression in the soil. 
The crops of those we have examined contained masses of small 
grass seeds. 
Mr. Rickard records it from the neighbourhood of East London, 
but we have not received any further notices of its occurrence in the 
eastern districts. Mr. Ayres writes:—“I shot the first of these 
birds on 10th May, on bare open country between Potchefstroom 
and Marico, and subsequently found them, though not very plen- 
tifully, throughout the whole of my journey along the River Limpopo. 
When approached they do not run, but squat close to the ground 
until they think it prudent to be off, when they rise with a noisy 
rapid beat of their wings. Their flight, like that of other Sand- 
grouse, is extremely rapid.” Dr. Exton procured it near Kanye, 
in the Matabele country. The following note on the species is given 
by Mr. Andersson :— This Sand-grouse is very abundant in some 
parts of Damara Land, where these birds may be observed to make 
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