PTEROCLES VARIEGATUS. 



SPOTTED SANDGHOUSE. 



(Plate 40.) 



Tetrao (Pterodes) variegatus, Burchell, Trav. S. Afr., ii, p. 345 (1824). 



Pterocles variegatus, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 578 

 (1875-84) ; Nicolls & Eglington, Sportsman in S. Afr., p. in 

 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxxii, p. 22 (1893) ; 

 Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 307 (1900-01). 



Pterocles variegatus, Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., in, p. 353 (1905) ; 

 Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 186 (1906). 



Local Name. " Gheel Patrijs " of Dutch (Nicolls & Eglington). 



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

 Length about 9i in. 



Distribution. The Spotted Sangrouse is quite common in the 

 Kalahari west of Vryburg ; it does not extend south of the 

 Orange River, but is found in the western portions of our limits 

 as far north as the Okavango River. 



This species has habits very similar to those of the Namaqua 

 Sandgrouse. 



During the day-time it ranges over the veldt in small 

 parties searching for food, which consists chiefly of grass-seeds 

 and of such berries as it can find. It is often met with at 

 great distances from any known water, but it drinks morning 

 and evening, and nearly always at such regular times that 

 one can almost set a watch by it. Its long wings and pow- 

 erful breast-muscles send it whizzing through the air at 

 a speed far exceeding that of the fastest driven partridge, 

 and at one water-hole that I know of in the Kalahari, at 

 7.45 a.m. precisely the air was fiUed with these Sandgrouse, 



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