190 PTEEOCLID^: PTEEOCLES 



wing-quills as in the male ; chin and throat buffy grey finely 

 spotted with black ; lower breast and abdomen as in the male. 



Examples from Damaraland and from Griqualand West are, as 

 has been remarked by Ogilvie Grant, much paler and lighter in 

 colour, so much so that they might very well be distinguished under 

 a subspecific name. 



Distribution. This Sandgrouse was first discovered by Levail- 

 lant on the banks of the Great Fish Eiver in the southern part of 

 Great Namaqualand. It does not appear to extend south of the 

 Orange Eiver except in Little Namaqualand, where Dr. Howard tells 

 me it is common, but northwards it reaches the southern part of 

 Angola and the Zambesi Valley. Its headquarters appear to be 

 Bechuanaland. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Griqualand 

 West, October (S. A. Mus.), Kuruman (Moffat) ; Transvaal Lim- 

 popo, May (Ayres), Selati and Sabi Eivers in Lydenburg, April and 

 August (Francis, in S. A. Mus.) ; Bechuanaland Makalapsi and 

 Makloutsi Eivers, August (Oates), Kanye (Exton), near Palachwe 

 (Bryden) ; German South-west Africa, throughout (Andersson and 

 Fleck) ; Portuguese East Africa Zambesi Valley, from Tete to 

 Chishomba (Alexander). 



Habits. The Double-banded Sandgrouse very much resembles 

 the other species in habits ; it is generally found in flocks, which, 

 however, split up during the breeding season. Its flight is swift and 

 its note a curious shrill whistle. The following is Alexander's 

 account of its habits in the Zambesi Valley. " These birds frequent 

 open spots in the woods, where the soil is loose and stony, and the 

 slopes of hilly banks that are coated with dry grass. They are fond 

 of basking in the sun, remaining in a sleepy condition during most 

 of the day. When on the ground it is difficult to see them, and 

 one almost treads upon them before they rise up, startling one with 

 their flare of wings and noisy " chuk chuk " notes, which are given 

 out simultaneously and with great zest. Out of the breeding season 

 they go together in large batches, sometimes of 30 or 40 in one flock. 

 In habits they might almost be termed crepuscular. Every evening 

 as regular as clock work, and just as dusk is closing in, they wing their 

 way to their watering spots, while, should the night be moonlight, 

 they feed in the vicinity of water." 



Ayres found this bird breeding on the banks of the Limpopo in 

 May and June ; the eggs, 3 or 4 in number, are laid on the bare 

 ground amongst the short grass. The hen sits very close. The 



