270 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



The only other eggs I koow of this Sand-Grouse are two oviduct 

 eggs in my collection, one of which I owe to the generosity of Mr. 

 Chas. M. luglis. This egg is a pale-grey, or pinkish-grey stone 

 colour, and the markings consist of small blotches of pale-sepia 

 disposed in a thin ring at one extremity and scattered here and there 

 over the rest of the egg. The secondary markings are of very pale 

 lavender, and consist of blotches a good deal larger than the primary 

 markings, though still fewer in number and confined entirely to the 

 ring-marked half of the egg. 



The surface of this egg is very smooth and decidedly glossy ; the 

 shape is the usual ellipse and it measures 41'4 X 27'G mm. 



The second egg was purchased by me from the Harington 

 Bulkley collection, and all that I can ascertain is that it was obtained 

 from the oviduct of a female shot on the 14th May on the Sind- 

 Beluchistan frontier in the year 1890. 



This is of the usual shape and character, but has a yellow-stone 

 ground-colour whilst the markings consist of a dense ring of primary 

 brown and secondary grey blotches round one end. Elsewhere the 

 blotches, especially the primary or surface ones, are rather sparse. 



This egg measures 39'3 X 26'2 mm. 



General Habits. — As far as can be ascertained from the scanty 

 records now in existence, we find that the Coronetted Sand-Grouse 

 enters Indian limits during the latter part of October and remains 

 until about the end of March ; as, however, it undoubtedly breeds 

 in both Beluchistan and Afghanistan, it may be found to occur in 

 India in suitable places in almost any month of the year, even if it 

 is never actually proved to breed in this country. 



There is very little on record about this beautiful little sand- 

 grouse as to its habits, etc. When in India, Lieut. -Colonel 

 J. M. Anderson informed Mr. E. Gates that he " shot several 

 Pterocles coronatus in October in the western desert near the hills 

 of Karachi ; they were in flocks of from six to twenty and were very 

 tame ; very different to P. arenarius, which was found one of the 

 most difficult birds to approach." 



St. John in the ' Ibis ' for 1889 writes of this Sand-Grouse : — 



" This is the only small Sand-Grouse ot Southern Afghanistan, 

 and is very generally diffused, though nowhere numerous. lb is 



