LETTERS -TO THE EDIToR. 427 
Sr 
te ‘Messrs. Davipson anD: WENDEN, in, their Deccan’ List 
‘. F., VII., 68) say that Painted Sandgrouse are “ abundant in 
several stiitable localities ; ;? and Captain Butler, in bis Deccan 
‘and Southern Mahratta Catalogue (S. F., 1X., p. 421) states that 
it is not uncommon in suitable localities throughout the plains 
portion of the region as far south at all events as Belgaum, 
and as far north as Nagar.” 
One would gather from this that the species must be frequent- 
Jy met with in the Deccan plains districts. I don’t know what 
the experience of others may be in this respect ; but, although 
I have shot and observed all kinds of birds for many years in the 
Sattara and Poona districts, I never until yesterday had the 
good luck to come across a single specimen of this Grouse. 
There are no doubt many suitable localities, but I can’t believe 
that the bird is very common anywhere in these districts. 
A few days ago I had heard from a friend of his having 
shot specimens at ‘this place, and yesterday verified his state- 
ment by bagging abrace in the rocky scrub-clad slopes between 
the Commissariat Cattle Farm and the Bhima; but even 
here, although in the course of a whole day’s shooting almost 
every likely place was beaten, my companion and I only 
flushed five birds, two pairs and a single. The large area of 
broken stony. ground at Alegaon, covered with low ser ub, 
chiefly babul, wild caper and jujube bushes, stretching from 
the river to the hills above, is, I should fancy, an especially 
favourable locality for this species ; and if abundant anyw here, 
one would expect to find them here in large numbers. 
Atrcaon, Poona District. G. VIDAL. 
ekg r 
On the 27th December last, I sent you in a tin box an 
Erismatura leucocephala. Since that I have managed to pur- 
chase two more of this species—one a cat took away, and the 
other one I have got stuffed. To-day a man has brought me a 
rare Teal; it is very much like Querquedula formosa. T cannot 
stuff it until it gets back some of the wing feathers, whick the 
bird-catcher has plucked out. I suppose T will have to keep it 
in captivity for about two months. On the Ist and 3rd of this 
month my man met flocks of two and five hundred Pin-tailed 
Sandgrouse. On the Isthe bagged eight, out of which I have 
had five stuffed. This is the first time I have seen this bird. 
Ihave heard that the late Mr. Robert Blewitt shot some 
when he was in Garhi Harsaru.* 
FaruknaGar, vid Deut, W. N. Cut. 
8th February 1883, 
~ * Yes, he did, and sent me the specimeus,—Ep. S. F. 
