Sand-Grouse. 47 



cover. It is found generally in pairs, 

 occasionally towards the end of the rains 

 in parties of eight to ten ; when flushed 

 rises with a low chuckling call, takes a 

 short flight at no great elevation and drops 

 into cover again. I have very rarely seen 

 it among rocks where there was little or 

 no jungle." 



It may be added to the above remarks 

 that this bird seems to fly about and to go 

 to drink at a very much later hour in the 

 evening than the other species of Sand- 

 Grouse. 



These Sand-Grouse appear to nest at 

 all times of the year, but April and May 

 seem to be the months in which most 

 nests are to be found. The nest is 

 generally a mere hollow scraped in the 

 ground, and is often under the shelter of 

 a bush or a tuft of grass. As a rale three 

 eggs are laid, but sometimes only two. 

 The eggs are very beautiful ; they are 

 elliptical in shape and very glossy. The 

 ground-colour is salmon-pink, and the 

 whole egg is covered, generally more 

 thickly at one end than the other, with 

 pale purple shell-marks and reddish brown 

 surface-spots and blotches. A large 

 number measure from i '3 to i '6 in length 

 and from 0*93 to 1-05 in breadth. 



