PALLAS'S SAND GROUSE IN NORFOLK. 449 



from ten to forty ; they were first seen there on 16th June, 

 and have remained close to the town of Wells up to the present 

 time, spending the day on the uplands, and visiting the salt 

 marshes in the afternoon, their favourite resort being a large flat 

 covered with Salicornia, amongst which they feed. Their flight 

 has been often described, but it is worthy of note, that although, 

 as a rule, they go away at a great pace, and to a considerable 

 distance, if not too often disturbed, they not unfrequently perform 

 a large circuit, and return within sight of the spot from which 

 they rose ; they frequent very open localities, and are impatient 

 of hedges, mounting to a great height to pass any suspicious 

 obstacle. A marked feature has been their decidedly gregarious 

 habits, also their exclusiveness, no single instance having come 

 to my knowledge of their having been seen associated with other 

 species of birds. 



Mr. Sandford Parsons tells me that the bird in his pos- 

 session, although it eats freely under observation, has never 

 been seen to drink,* and even now remains excessively shy ; 

 it decidedly prefers small seeds, such as dari, millet, and canary 

 seed, but takes wheat and barley for a change. Mr. A. Napier 

 tells me a curious circumstance in connection with so shy 

 a bird ; he was shooting on the Holkham sand-hills with Lord 

 Leicester and party, on the 13th October, when they met with a 

 flock of about thirty-five. "A single bird," says Mr. Napier, 

 " which I came upon, I felt convinced must have had either a 

 nest or young. When first I saw it, it fluttered along in front of 

 me just like a partridge with young. It was so tame that I 

 called Lord Leicester and the others up to see it, and it did not 

 fly up until we had approached to within three or four yards of 

 it. At first I thought it must have been a wounded bird, but I 

 do not think so now, for it flew away very strongly, calling out 

 most lustily. Its action reminded me very much of the Turtle 

 Dove." Mr. Sandford Parsons also tells me, that on August 5th, 

 the gardener at Shernbourne Hall came to his father to say, 

 that a Sand Grouse was running about on the lawn; Mr. Parsons 



* It is worthy of note that two of these birds, belonging to Mr, T. J. 

 Mann, which were for five weeks under the care of Mr. Mahon, of Docking, 

 showed the same indifference to water ; and the keeper of Mr. Gurney's bird, 

 at Northrepps, tells me that he has never seen it drink : this appears quite 

 contrary to their recorded habits in their native haunts. 



