GAME-BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



water. The Namaqua and Variegated species mingled 

 freely, as they came up and circled incessantly round 

 about the pool at an immense rate of speed. Suddenly 

 a combined band would swerve towards that end of the 

 pool farthest from our waggons, and with one swoop of 

 incredible swiftness descend upon the margin. The rustle 

 of their wings as they enacted this manoeuvre, was most 

 remarkable. If not disturbed, the leading birds diank 

 quickly and flew off, when others took their places ; the 

 watering process being gone through with perfect order and 

 without overcrowding. If, however, my companion or I 

 moved with our guns in that direction, the whole flight would 

 rise with the loud whirr of hundreds of pairs of wings, and 

 circle in the air round the pool again, until a safer oppor- 

 tunity presented itself for drinking. The Yellow-throated 

 Sandgrouse held together in flocks of from a dozen to thirty 

 or forty. They ' stooped ' together at the water and drank 

 frequently. From 8 o'clock tUl close on 10 this wonderful 

 flight continued ; as birds drank and departed others were 

 constantly arriving to take their places. I should judge that 

 the average time spent by each bird at and around the water 

 was from twenty minutes to half an hour." 



The eggs, usually three in number, are laid on the bare 

 ground among the grass. They are dusky-tawny, marked 

 with lines and blotches of umber, forming a zone toward 

 the base, and measure about 1.7 by 1.09 in. 



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