302 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



Indian Sand-Grouse {P. senegaleiisis) are always greyish or olive-grey 

 in tint when looked at as a whole. 



General Habits. — Jerdon gives a most interesting account of this 

 sand-grouse and its habits. He remarks: — • 



" This is the most common and abundant species ot Sand-Grouse 

 throughout India, being found in every part of the country, except 

 the more wooded portions, and never occurring in forest districts. 



" This Sand-Grouse frequents the bare open plains, whether 

 rocky or otherwise, and is very partial to ploughed lands and bare 

 fallow fields. It feeds chiefly in the morning and between eight and 

 nine a.m., goes to drink at some river or tank, at which, in some 

 parts of the country, thousands assemble, and they may be seen 

 winging their way in lai-ger or smaller parties from all quarters, 

 at a great height, uttering their peculiar loud piercing call, which 

 announces their vicinity to the sportsman long before he has seen 

 them. They remain a few minutes at the water's edge, walking 

 about and picking up fragments of sand or gravel, and then fly off 

 as they came. In the hot weather at all events, if not at all 

 seasons, they drink again about four p.m. When they are seated 

 on bare sandy or rocky ground, they are most difficult to observe, 

 from the similarity of their colour to the ground ; sometimes they 

 can be approached with care near enough to get a good shot, at 

 other times, especially if in large flocks, they are shy and wary. 

 A small flock or single bird can often be approached very close 

 by walking rapidly, not straight, but gradually edging towards them ; 

 and, in this way. I have often walked up to within two or three 

 yards of them. They feed on various hard seeds, especially on 

 those of various Alyssocarpi desmodiiim, etc., as well as on grass, 

 seeds and gi-ain. 



" The bird, if kept long enough, is very excellent eating, though 

 the flesh is somewhat hard and tough, but with a high game flavoui' ; 

 and the young birds when nearly full grown are excellent." 



This species of sand-grouse, in India, is not migratory, though it 

 may move about to some slight extent under pressure of climatic 

 conditions, and during the height of the extreme dry season may 

 wander into districts it does not visit at other times. 



Its drinking-hour depends on the season, and it often does not 

 drink in the cold weather until nearly 10 o'clock, whereas in May 

 and June it will be found watering as early as 7 a.m. Eoughly 

 speaking, it appears to feed for some two hours after the sun is up, 

 ^fter which it drinks before settling down for a siesta during the 



