314 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



as a rule to the edges of the stream, pool or marsh at which they 

 may be drinking and they do not seem to be so addicted to going 

 right down into the water as does the Large Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse, 

 for this latter bird seems to prefer to drink right in the centre of 

 the pool or marsh rather than at the edges. Both species water at 

 the same time, but the Spotted Sand-Grouse are generally the first 

 arrivals in the morning and the last in the evening, but are never as 

 numerous as the bigger bird, though I have sometimes seen as many 

 as thirty drinking together. This was early in the year from March 

 to July, when I left Mesopotamia, and when I returned in September 

 I at once noticed it was far more common, and near Sinn I saw 

 flights containing thousands of birds, though the flights seemed to 

 be composed of numerous separate flocks. 



" They are extremely easy to distinguish from their bigger cousins 

 when on the wing both by voice and appearance. The black patch 

 on their stomachs and their general pink appearance are easily 

 discernible at a good distance and at a closer distance the dark outer 

 edges to their wing-coverts show up well. On the ground also they 

 appear, especially in the hot sunshine and glare, much greyer 

 than P. a. caudacutus, whilst the orange throats are noticeable from 

 some way off. 



" Unlike the larger Sand-Grouse they do not frequent the flat 

 thinly grassed plains but prefer arid patches of ' pat ' land, or bare 

 deserts and sandy wastes. They are rarely seen in the near vicinity 

 of camps, though near the Sinn position they were present in thousands 

 with camps not very far from their feeding and resting grounds. In 

 this place the bare ground was peculiarly suitable to their tastes and 

 one could always find them hunting for grain which had been scattered 

 about on the broad, dusty convoy and motor roads which intersected 

 the country in many directions. This habit of collecting to feed 

 on the fallen grain was interesting as showing that they are grain- as 

 well as seed-eaters when they have the chance. 



" They were not so tame or foolish near the camps as the Large 

 Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse, yet when one came on them feeding near or 

 on these roads they often allowed an approach on horseback to 

 within a few yards before they sought safety in flight." 



Jourdain informs me that each species of Sand-Grouse he met 

 with in Algeria, i.e., orientalls, alchatus and senegallus, had quite 

 distinct call-notes, and as they all constantly uttered these notes 

 when on the wing, it was easy to tell without looking what species 

 was approaching. " To me the cry of senegallus sounded like greet-to 

 greet-to, but I did not attempt to write it down, and Koenig sylla- 

 bizes the call as ' hi-hu, kaioa kawa, ki-ku katva kawa.' " 



