PA LIAS'S SANDGROU8B 



it packs together in autumn, and is sociable at all 

 >ns, generally breeding in colonies and feeding in company, there 

 is little doubt that this sandgrouse is monogamous, and probably 

 pairs for life. Radde's description of the return of the flocks to their 

 breeding-grounds has already been quoted. Probably the first eggs 

 are laid by the middle of April, the hen scratching a hole about five 

 inches in diameter in the sandy soil, and sometimes adding a scanty 

 lining of Stikola shoots or marram grass, though this is often wanting. 

 In this nest the peculiar elliptical eggs are laid, usually two or three in 

 number, although occasionally a clutch of four is met with. They are 

 apparently laid at intervals of a day, judging from those which have 

 been laid in confinement When the hen leaves the nest in the 

 morning to drink, the eggs are left uncovered ; but it is noteworthy 

 that when the hen has been snared on the nest, the male bird can be 

 caught by setting another snare. None of the sandgrouse are close 

 sitters, but generally rise from the nest while the intruder is still 

 some distance away. In the case of the pintailed- and singed sand- 

 grouse, both of which have reared their young in captivity, it waa 

 noticed that while the protectively coloured hen incubated during the 

 day, the more brightly coloured male relieved his mate by night 1 

 After an incubation period of 23 or 24 days 2 the chicks are hatched, 

 and differ widely from those of the pigeons. One which was found in 

 Scotland was figured in the Ibis for 1890, plate vii., and a second, as 

 well as a nestling 13 days old, was figured by Gronvold to illustrate 

 Heir Winge's paper in the Vidensk. J/eddel. Naturhist. Forening t. 

 KjtftenJiarn, 1892, pi. iv. figs. 1 and 2. The chicks are also figured in 

 this work (PI. 93) by Gronvold. When first hatched they are covered 

 with yellowish white down, tinged with brownish, while a bold and 

 regular pattern of sienna-brown patches is bordered in many cases 

 with blackish brown. Though, from the construction of it* feet, 



' E. O. B. Meade-Waldo, At-icultural Magazine, 1887, p. 179; W. H. St. Quint in, torn. 

 I860, p. 78. 



' F. E. Blaauw (Ibis, 1800, p. 406) state* that eggs placed in an incubator came oat after 

 28 days. 



VOL. II. 3 Z 



