WTER'S ARCADIA. 



this several easy shots were presented at sand 

 grouse, familiarly known here as Namaqua partridge. 

 These are of three distinct varieties, each differing 

 in colour and also in habit, the first being denomi- 

 nated the double-banded sand grouse, the second, 

 variegated sand grouse, and the third, Namaqua 

 sand grouse or partridge. 



In size they are all similar, being about the 

 weight of our woodcock, although of considerably 

 greater length, owing to the elongation of the 

 exterior tail feathers. During the morning and 

 evening they are usually found in small coveys, but 

 during the day, when the uplands are their favourite 

 habitat, more generally they will be flushed in 

 pairs. The whirr which they make at rising is so 

 startling and abrupt, and their velocity of flight so 

 great, that the nervous sportsman invariably finds 

 that shooting sand grouse is not his forte. More-' 

 over, they carry away a tremendous lot of shot, 

 and in this respect quite equal our home-bred bird 

 the wood-pigeon. 



The first two varieties mentioned invariably come 

 to water immediately after sunrise and when the 

 sun goes down, while the third variety drink about 



