PTEROCLES GUTTURALIS. 



YELLOW-THROATED SANDGROUSE. 



(Plate 39.) 



Pterocles gulturalis, Smith, Rep. Expecl. Cent. Afr., p. 56 (1836) ; Sharpe's 

 ed.Laycard Birds of S. Afr., p. 577 (1875-84) ; Nicolls & Eglington 

 Sportsman in S. Afr., p. 112 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus., XXII, p. 25 (1893); Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, 

 p. 305 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ami. S. Afr. Mus., ni, p. 353 (1905) ; 

 Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 187 (1906). 



Local Name. " Nacht Patrijs " of the Dutch. 



Description. The birds figured are an adult male and female. 



The young birds are like the female, but the transverse bands 

 on the mantle are smaller and finer. 

 Length about 11 in. 



Distribution. The Yellow-throated Sandgrouse was first discovered 

 in the present Rustenburg District of the Transvaal. From the 

 western Transvaal it extends to Bechuanaland and the northern 

 Kalahari, while beyond our limits it is recorded from Nyassaland, 

 Masailand, and the mountains of Abyssinia. It does not appear 

 to be found in Damaraland. I have shot it on the road between 

 Fort Hall and Nairobi in British East Africa, but have no expe- 

 rience with this species within our limits ; on the wing it much 

 reminded me of our Red Grouse. 



Mr. Sclater writes that the Yellow-throated. Sandgrouse is 

 usually found in companies of from three to twelve individuals, 

 on bare ground not far from water, where it feeds on seeds 

 and small bulbous roots. 



When crouched on the ground it is very difficult to detect ; 

 when flushed it does not run, but rises at once with a 

 " whirring " sound made by the wings. The note, only 

 heard on the wing, is a short and somewhat harsh " Tweet." 



93 



