PALLA01 



of a return passage are Imnishe.l l.\ a record of a large flock of 

 several hundred birds seen near Saskut in Kouumnia in November. 



On reviewing the above records, it will IHJ seen that the only 

 places where ih -< liinU Allowed mv signs of settling down to breed 

 were those where the natural conditions were something like those in 

 their Central Asian home. The Culbin Sands in Morayshire, the 

 i-lancl of Texel and Xainlvoort in Holland, the Ringkjobing Fjord in 

 Denmark, and the plains of Schleswig-Holstein may be cited as 

 instances of this. Extensive ranges of sandhills, or low-lying sandy 

 plains and sandbanks, are to be found in all of them. 



But although a desert form, there is not a single s|>ecies of sand- 

 grouse which is able to extract enough moisture from its food to 

 dispense with drinking. Generally twice a day, at morning and 

 evening, the flocks make their way to some drill king-place. Prjewal- 

 sky describes how about sunrise the great flocks of Syrrhaptca leave 

 their roosting-place in the desert to feed, flying very low, and with 

 gnat swiftness. The male birds often utter a peculiar note in flight, 

 something like the words " truck, turttck, truck, tttruck" but this 

 note is only heard from small parties, and the big flocks fly in silence, 

 except for the noise made by their wings, which make a whistling like 

 the wind. After feeding they resort to some pool or salt lake but 

 fresh water is usually preferred." Before settling down to drink or 

 feed they describe a circle in the air, so as to be assured that the 

 coast is clear. Radde says that the later arrivals call and are 

 answered by those already there. They then join them, standing by 

 the water's-edge in rows of ten or twelve birds, but do not stay long, 

 and are soon on the wing again. With regard to the mode of 

 drinking, Gadow distinctly says that all the sandgrouse differ widely 

 from the pigeons in their method. The latter dip their bills into the 



1 J. Whitaker compare* the sound to the word " fee*, Uck, tocfc " repeated about every 

 second (Afofe* on the Birds of NotU, p. 220) ; he mentions aUo a very musical cry, " U tit to 



* Mr. Bateeon noticed them drinking the talt water of Telekul. which hat a pecifio gravity 

 of 1006, and ia almoet unfit for cooking. 



