J80 THE SAND GROUSE. 



the most barren districts of the world ; and for abode 

 there, they possess requisites equal to those belong 

 ing to the inhabitants of the moors or forest. These 

 hare been named Sand-Grouse, and in scientific lan- 

 guage Pterocles. They inhabit the parched and arid 

 deserts of Africa and Arabia, plains of burning sand, 

 bounded only by the horizon, " where no palm-trees 

 rise to spot the wilderness," themselves almost the 

 only living creature, often proving a most welcome 

 sight, to those who, from necessity or avarice, at- 

 tempt their dangerous passage. For abode in these 

 deserts, a more extended locomotive power is neces- 

 sary, the distances to be passed from the various 

 watering places and supply of food being very great. 

 We find the feet small, therefore formed for run- 

 ning lightly on the burning sand, the bodies more 

 light and slender than any of the birds we have 

 been describing, and the wings lengthened, with 

 the first quills longest ; the tail also is often long, 

 thus showing an extent of development in the most 

 important organs of flight, far beyond any of the 

 others. They are thus enabled to pass over vast 

 distances, and they sweep over these wastes, with 

 an easy, noiseless, and extremely rapid flight. 



Swainson accounts these birds the tenuirostral 

 group in this family, and as a departure from the 

 Gallinae. The Prince of Musignano remarks, that 

 some species of them lay a small number of eggs, 

 and that the young remain for a considerable time 

 in the nest, after being hatched. The colours of 



