TSE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 15 



localities throughotit the Punjab, Sind, Eajputana, the N. W. 

 Provinces and Oiidh, the Western parts of Behar and Chota 

 Nagpore, the Central Provinces and the Central India Agency, in- 

 cluding Bundelkhand, Berar, the Nizam's Territory, the whole 

 Bombay Presidency, except the Sub-ghat littoral, Mysore and the 

 Northern and Central portions of the Madras Presidency. " 



Blanford records that he has seen this Sand-Grouse at Raneegange 

 and I have seen it in the same district of Bhirbhom, Dr. King saw one 

 in the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta (probably an escaped bird), and 

 Blanford again shot some a little to the North of the Cauvery, near 

 Trichinopoly. It does not extend to Ceylon but it is found in Tra- 

 vancore, whence I have received eggs. 



Col, Faithful, in epistola, says " about 3 or 4 years ago I came 

 across a flock of about six of the small kind of Sand-Grouse on the 

 Karewa at the back of Ardwin in the Phupiyan direction, these and 

 the one I shot are the only ones I have ever shot in Kashmir. The 

 one I shot was got in the early part of February." 



Jerdon gives a most interesting account of this Sand-Grouse and 

 its habits. He remarks "This is the most common and abundant 

 species of Sand-Grouse throughout India, being found in every part 

 of the country, except the more wooded portions, and never occar- 

 ring in forest districts. 



" This Sand-Grouse frequents the bare open plains, whether rocky 

 or otherwise, and is very partial to ploughed lands and bare 

 fallow fields. It feeds chiefly in the morning and between 

 8 and 9 a. m., goes to drink at some river or tank, at which, in 

 some parts of the country, thousands assemble, and they maj^ be 

 seen winging their way in larger or smaller parties from all quar- 

 ters, at a great height, uttering their peculiar loud piercing call, 

 which announces their vicinity to the sportsman long before he 

 has seen them. They remain a few minutes at the waters edge, 

 walking about and picking up fragments of sand or gravel, and 

 then fly off" as they came. In the hot weather, at all events if not 

 at all seasons, they drink again about 4 p. m. When they are 

 seated on bare sandy or rocky ground, they are most difiicult to 

 observe, from the similarity of their colour to the ground ; some- 

 times they can be approached with care near enough to get a good 

 shot, at other times, especially if in large flocks, they are shy 

 and wary, A small flock or single bird can often be approached 

 very close by walking rapidly, not straight, but gradually edging 

 towards them ; and, in this way I have often walked up to within 

 two or three yards of them. They feed on various hard seeds, 

 especially on those of various Abysicarfi, Desmodium, etc, as well as 

 on grass, seeds and grain, " 



" The bird, if kept long enough, is very excellent eating, though 

 the flesh is somewhat hard and tough, but with a high game 



