52 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



sharp cackling cry, affording a very difficult 

 shot It does not rise high, and usually 

 settles again after a short flight. All 

 kinds of Pterocles^ as is well known, fly to 

 water at particular hours in the day, the 

 hours varying with different species. Pt. 

 exustus drinks about 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

 In the present case the drinking hours are 

 at daybreak in the morning, and at dusk 

 in the evening, as is also the case with 

 the Indian Pt. fasciatus^ the crepuscular 

 habits of which are mentioned by Jerdon 

 (' Birds of India/ vol. ii., p. 498), and 

 have been noticed by myself also. In 

 the semi-desert country west and north- 

 west of Massowah, in which Pt. lichtensteini 

 abounds, and there are but very few 

 places where water is found, the scene at 

 each spring of an evening, after a hot 

 day especially, is very interesting. At 

 Saati, Ailat, and Ain, there was a constant 

 rush of these birds from sunset till dark, 

 and again in the morning before sunrise. 

 Singly and in small flocks, uttering their 

 peculiar ' queep-queep Mike note, they flew 

 up and down the watercourse, on their 

 way to and from the water, keeping only 

 a few feet above the bushes and low 

 trees ; the noise of their wings being 

 heard in the dusk before the birds them- 



