212 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



not really grouse at all, but more nearly re- 

 lated to plovers and pigeons. As the picture 

 shows, they have very long wings and very 

 small feet ; in fact, they look as if they ought 

 to feed on insects in the air, like swallows, 

 instead of on seeds on the ground, as they 

 really do. The only use they make of their 

 long wings is in travelling, and in escaping 

 from hawks, which they generally do success- 

 fully, as they are so swift that only the very 

 fastest falcons can catch them. 



In size sand -grouse are about as big as 

 turtle-doves, and their plumage is of a sandy- 

 colour speckled with black ; they fly in 

 flocks, calling out duck, duck-cluck, as they 

 go. The real home of these birds is in the dry 

 plains of eastern Asia, but for many years 

 they have been trying to push westwards and 

 invade Europe. The first colonists that 

 arrived here came in 1859, and other expe- 

 ditions went out in 1863, 1872, 1876 and 1888. 

 Often there were hundreds and even thousands 

 of birds in these invading armies, and they 

 spread all over Europe. That they meant to 

 settle down and colonize is plain, because both 

 in this country and in Denmark they bred. 



