212 Prof. A. Newton on the 



eight hours of the bird's death, the very successful drawings 

 which he has since transferred to stone in illustration of this 

 paper (Plate VII.). Subsequently the bird was sent to Mr. 

 Cullingford, of the Museum of the University of Durham, 

 by whom it was preserved with his accustomed skill, and 

 was exhibited by me at the meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion as before mentioned. If my readers will take the 

 trouble to compare Mr. Frohawk's figures with my descrip- 

 tion they will, I think, admit that the discrepancies are only 

 those of a kind which can hardly fail to occur when a speci- 

 men is viewed by different eyes. I must add, however, that 

 the bird being dead, the expression given to it in the side 

 view of its head is, of course, imaginary — there being nothing 

 to guide him or me as to the truth in this matter. I 

 never saw the living chick of a Sand-Grouse, and the only 

 representation of one with which I am acquainted is that of 

 Pteroe/es alchata in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological 

 Society ' for 1866 (pi. ix. fig. 2), while I am not sure whether 

 that was drawn from the living bird or not. The general 

 resemblance in pattern of the clothing of the two will be 

 manifest ; but it is easy to observe individual differences — 

 such, for instance, as the apparently more hooped form of 

 the white markings on the body of Pterocles and the absence 

 of the two lateral white lines on the head of Syrrhaptes. 



An additional reason for my satisfaction at being able to 

 give a description and figures of this little bird is that thereby 

 may be set at rest several reports which have been current 

 on the Continent to the effect that the young of Syrrhaptes 

 had, on more than one occasion and in more than one 

 country, been found, and that they Mere covered with black 

 down. When I first heard of these reports I suspected that 

 the young of Crex pratensis or of some other Ralline form 

 had been mistaken for that of Syrrhaptes, and I now feel 

 sure that it was so. 



It remains to mention the circumstances under which the 

 example sent to me by Major Chadwick w r as obtained. That 

 gentleman, to whose kindness I am so much indebted, was 

 good enough to answer my enquiries as follows : — 



