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To prevent them from injuring themselves, it is advisable to

cut the feathers of their wings; and a good wa}^ to do this is to

leave the first and second primary in each wing perfedt, cut half

the third so as to make a support for the first and second, and cut

the remaining seven primaries in each wing : this means


there is no disfigurement whatever and the birds do not turn

over in their attempts to fly, they can fly a little but do not

dash with sufficient force to injure themselves.


The height of the outer compartment of the aviaries

.should be not less than 8ft., and the same to the eaves of the inner.

There should be no high ledges, for Sand Grouse are very

awkward at getting over anything: and the turf should be only

raised a little above the gravel path. The turf will require

renewing once a year. The outer compartments should be

boarded about one foot high all round, as a shelter from winds

and to prevent birds from running up and down in one place.


Of course other birds that are not antagonistic may be

kept with the Sand Grouse during the breeding-season : a pair

of small waders (I have Pratincoles in with mine), and a pair or

two of any small passerine bird.


A great variety of food is eaten: of seeds the favourites

are hemp, maw, spray millet, and rape. Green food is as

necessary as seed, and they live largely on it. The favourites

are sorrel, hops, clover, shepherd’s purse, chickweed, dandelion ;

and they eat short turf like a goose. Rock salt should be always

before them, and a plentiful supply of crushed egg-shell and

sharp grit.


The nesting-season commences in May, but breeding

pairs should be separated in April. Three eggs form the full

clutch, and are laid with the interval of a day between each.

Both sexes incubate, the female sitting by day, and the brightly-

plumaged male by night; the eggs are never left at all. The

young are hatched on the twenty-fourth day, and are most

beautiful little creatures, extremely advanced even on the day of

their birth, dusting and foraging for themselves ; they feed on

the half-ripe seeds of various plants, that of chickweed and

shepherd’s purse being the favourites : also mawseed. They are

covered with chocolate and cream-coloured down of a very

curious texture, each tuft on the back resembling a small Ostrich

feather. At ten days old these independent little birds refuse

to be brooded by their parents, and seek out a place among the

stones to roost by themselves.


I have elsewhere described the curious way in which these



