16 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIII. 



flavour ; and the young birds when nearly fall grown, are excellent. " 

 This species of Sand-Gronse in India is not migratory though it 

 may move about to some slight extent under pressure of climatic 

 conditions and during the height of the extreme dry season may 

 wander into districts it does not visit at other times. 



Its drinking hour depends on the season and it often does not 

 drink in the cold weather until nearly 10 o'clock, whereas in May 

 and June it will be found watering as early as 7 a.m. Roughly 

 speaking, it appears to feed for some two hours after the sun is up 

 after which it drinks before settling down for a siesta during the 

 hotter hours of the day. In the evening it often does not drink at 

 all, but diwing the hot weather thirst generally compels it to drink 

 again before its evening feeding hour and it will then be found at 

 water between 3-30 and 4*30 or a little later. It is not crepuscular 

 in its habits like Pterocles fasciatus and coronatus. 



Its food appears to be entirely vegetarian and even as such 

 confined mainly to hard seeds and grain ; in two instances only did 

 Hume find insects in their stomach and I can find no other records 

 referring to this diet. They do sometimes resort to cultivated fields 

 for gi'ain and seed, but for the greater part they keep to the unculti- 

 vated plains and it is wonderful the way they manage, not only to 

 obtain enough food to sustain their great vitality but actually to keep 

 them plump and in the highest condition. 



They are not as a rule found in enormous flocks such as those of 

 Pteroclurus alchata and Pterocles arenarius and flocks of over 100 are 

 exceptional, though some few of 200 or even more have been seen. 

 Generally the flocks number 20 or 30 to 50 and these come down to 

 water in independent packs, not collecting together for the 

 piu'pose. Arrived at the water they settle at once, unless alarmed, 

 a short distance from the water and there, like all Sand-Grouse, 

 squat for a few seconds or minutes, before running down to the 

 water edge for their drink. After this they remain a short time and 

 walk about and scatter a good deal, but do not seem to quarrel with 

 one another as so many other Sand-Grouse do, and then all fly ofl" 

 again to their resting place. 



Hume says that whereas in the day time when feeding they scatter 

 widely over the ground but that during the night when sleeping 

 they collect in a very compact mass; he also adds "and during the 

 night they must keep better watch than during the day, for 

 often when crossing the huge Oosur plains in Etawah after dark, at 

 times after mid-night, I have heard flocks of them rise at consi- 

 derable distance from me. Moreover, I have never formd any 

 of their feathers about in the morning, as I have of so many 

 ground roosting birds, shewing wnere a jackal or a fox has made 

 a lucky hit. If one remembers how abundant this species is in 

 many districts and how superabundant in the same places. 



