324 CHARADRIIFORMES chap. 



in Fnince, and Rock-Pigeon in India, is grey above, with yellow 

 tips to the dorsal feathers ; it has black, brown, and greyish-white 

 wings, shewing chestnut and yellow on the coverts ; yellowish 

 rump and long median rectrices barred with black. The cheeks 

 are orange, the throat is black with a little yellow beneath, the 

 upper breast is chestnut-red, bordered by a black line above and 

 below, the remaining under parts are white, the bill and feet 

 brownish. The female differs in her white throat, and in her upper 

 surface irregularly marked with buff, grey, and black. This 

 species occurs in South Europe, North Africa, and South-West 

 Asia ; P. namaqua inhabits South Africa ; P. exustus ranges 

 from Senegal to the Pangani River in East Africa, and through 

 Palestine to Central Asia and India; while P. sevegalhis extends 

 from the Sahara to Palestine, Arabia, and North- West India. 



Syrrhaptes ^paradoxus, Pallas's Sand-Grouse, has buff upper 

 parts barred with black ; mainly blue-grey wings and tail, with 

 black and chestnut markings on the former, and white tips to 

 the lateral rectrices ; dull yellow crown and cheeks ; orange nape 

 and throat ; greyish-buff neck and breast, white abdomen and 

 metatarsal plumage, an interrupted black gorget, and a broader 

 black band towards the belly. The female has less elongated 

 median tail-feathers, black streaks on the buff head, a black bar 

 across the throat, and is duller generally. S. tibetanus, with 

 entirely white belly, the largest of the Family, extends from 

 the Sutlej and South Kashmir to Koko-Nor ; but its congener 

 reaches from the Lower Volga or the Kirghiz Steppes to the 

 north of Lake Baikal and North China, while some erratic 

 impulse of uncertain origin causes it to invade the plains of 

 China and the whole of Europe at irregular intervals. One 

 specimen was obtained at Sarepta on the Volga in 1848, and 

 again in 1860, when flocks visited Pekin ; in 1859 a few ex- 

 amples occurred on the Continent, and between July and November 

 three wandered to Britain; while in 1863 some 700 individuals 

 reached our shores by May 21, straying as far as Ireland, but 

 vanishing towards autumn. Several pairs bred on the sand-hills 

 of Holland and Jutland. In 1872 and 1876 small parties visited 

 us; and in 1888 another and incalculably larger invasion took 

 place, which extended farther southward than that of 1863, and 

 after entering Europe before the beginning of April, occupied 

 Britain between May 6 and May 15, to remain there throughout 



