t246 GAME-BIRDS OP INDIA 



subsurface, vary considerably in amount, sometimes being rather 

 sparse, at others rather numerous, but they are nearly always 

 distributed fairly evenly over the whole surface of the egg. 



According to Gates the series in the British Museum collection 

 measure from 1"7 to 2 inches in length and from 1'23 to 1'33 in 

 breadth ( = 43'5 to 51 and 31 '2 to 33'(J mm.). With the exception 

 of three eggs, all those in my collection come within these limits. 

 The three exceptions measure 2"05, 207 and 2'10 inches ( = 52, 526 

 and 53'2 mm.) iu length, but are not as broad as the broadest of the 

 Museum eggs. Including these latter the average of sixty-eight 

 eggs I have measured is 186 X 1'27 inches = (47'5 X 29"8 mm.). 

 Gates, in describing the Museum eggs, says : " The eggs of the 

 Black-bellied Sand-Grouse are, on the whole, very pale, and present 

 a marbled appearance." This "marbled" appearance is common to 

 all the Sand-Grouse eggs and together with their curious elliptical 

 shape makes them resemble very remarkably the eggs of the 

 CaprimuJgidx or Nightjars. 



Whitaker gives the average of the eggs measured by him as 

 45 X 30 mm. 



Hartert gives the average of forty eggs as 47"S7 X 32'53 mm., 

 a very much broader measurement than mine. The maxima 

 he gives as 53 X 32"5 and 50'8 X 34'3 mm. and the minimum 

 as 450 X 33'0 mm. 



General Habits. — The Large or Black-bellied Sand-Grouse is only 

 a winter visitor to India, its arrival and departure being much in- 

 fluenced, according to Hume and others, by the state of the weather, 

 great heat delaying its arrival and accelerating its departure. The 

 birds generally arrive within Indian limits, i.e., the extreme north- 

 west of the Punjab and Sind, in the first week of October; or, in early 

 years, a few flights may be seen in the last few days of September. 

 They, however, do not seem to work their way further south and 

 east at all fast, as I am informed that they are seldom seen in 

 Cutch until the end of the former month, whilst they do not reach 

 South Eajputana, Central India, and the west of the United Pro- 

 vinces until well on in November. These last-mentioned parts of 

 India they leave again in the latter part of February, and by the 

 end of March but few will be found anywhere, though a few stay 



