52 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



sharp cackling cry, affording a very difficult 

 shot. It does not rise high, and usually 

 settles again after a short flight. All 

 kinds of Pterocles^ as is well known, fly to 

 water at particular hours in the day, the 

 hours varying with different species. Pt. 

 exustus drinks about 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

 In the present case the drinking hours are 

 at daybreak in the morning, and at dusk 

 in the evening, as is also the case with 

 the Indian Pt. fasciatus, the crepuscular 

 habits of which are mentioned by Jerdon 

 ('Birds of India,' vol. ii., p. 498), and 

 have been noticed by myself also. In 

 the semi-desert country west and north- 

 west of Massowah, in which Pt. lichtensteini 

 abounds, and there are but very few 

 places where water is found, the scene at 

 each spring of an evening, after a hot 

 day especially, is very interesting. At 

 Saati, Ailat, and Ain, there was a constant 

 rush of these birds froro sunset till dark, 

 and again in the morning before sunrise. 

 Singly and in small flocks, uttering their 

 peculiar ' queep-queep '-like note, they flew 

 up and down the watercourse, on their 

 way to and from the water, keeping only 

 a few feet above the bushes and low 

 trees ; the noise of their wings being 

 heard in the dusk before the birds them- 



