THE OOLOGIST. 



15 



twenty-seven inches in extent. The fe- 

 male is of a dirty yellow, the back and 

 mantle - feathers striped with brownish- 

 black ; under parts paler than in themale. 



This bird inhabits northern Africa and 

 the southern countries of Europe, appearing 

 in great numbers in the cold season from 

 September to March. It drinks regularly 

 twice a day like the preceding species, fly- 

 ing in vast flocks from the extensive sandy 

 plains. It feeds soon after drinking, seek- 

 ing its food on the grassy lands and stubble 

 fields. From the shy disposition of this 

 bird, and the open character of the country 

 which it inhabits, it is very difiicult to hunt 

 with any success. It is much pursued, 

 however, as well for its excellence as a 

 game bird for the table, as for the sport of 

 its capture. It is often shot from a pit dug 

 in the ground with success. The flesh is 

 described as being somewhat hard and 

 tough, old birds probably requiring to be 

 skinned, yet it is a very fine bird for the 

 table. According to Adams, this species 

 excavates a hole in the ground and raises 

 a circle of dried grass around it, in which 

 they lay three and sometimes four eggs. 

 The flight of the Ganga is very strong and 

 rapid, often being prolonged to a great dis- 

 tance. The sexes flock separately. 



The best known and probably most im- 

 portant of this family is the Large Pin- 

 tailed Grouse or Khata {Pterocles al- 

 chata) , which is slightly smaller than the 

 Ganga and more finely colored. The plu- 

 mage is principally of a sandy yellow ; the 

 brows and sides of the cheeks reddish- 

 brown ; throat and a delicate line passing 

 from the eye to back of the head, black ; 

 nape and back grayish-green, spotted with 

 yellow ; lesser wing-coverts grayish-crim- 

 son, their upper feathers striped with red- 

 dish-brown, yellow and deep brown ; great- 

 er coverts grayish-yellow, edged with deep 

 brown ; lower throat reddish-brown ; up- 

 per breast brownish-crimson, surrounded 

 with a black line ; belly white ; Quills gray- 

 ish with black shafts. Outer tail-feathers 

 striped yellow and gray on the outer webs, 

 whitish on the inner webs ; the two inner 



feathers grayish, faintly mottled. The fe- 

 male resembles the male but is easily dis- 

 tinguished by the double line on the throat, 

 and by the whiter hue of its upper portion. 

 The male measures twelve and three-quar- 

 ters inches in length, and twenty-two and 

 a half in extent. 



This interesting bird inhabits northern 

 Africa, western Asia, and Spain, Cicily, 

 and Turkey. According to Jerdon, it is 

 quite rare in India, only a few finding their 

 way across the Sutlej. It is said that this 

 bird swai-ms in countless numbers in Pales- 

 tine, and one author (Mr. Blyth I believe) 

 asserts, with considerable justice, that this, 

 and not the Common or European Quail 

 ( Coturnix communis) , was the Quail 

 which the Israelites gathered. Colonel 

 Chesney states that it is a kind of Quail 

 about the size of a Pigeon, which at times 

 darkens the air with its numbers. It is 

 common in the central and southern parts 

 of the Sahara. The flesh is black and hard, 

 and is eaten only by the Turks and a few 

 other natives. We are told that the num- 

 ber of Khatas in the stony region beyond 

 the Jordan is above description. " Some- 

 times the whole plain seems to rise and fly 

 in masses, that appear like large moviuo- 

 clouds," and in the mountains of Edom, 

 they are so plenty that they are often killed 

 by the Arabs with sticks. 



The Khata breeds among the rocks of 

 western Asia, northern Africa, and south- 

 ern Europe, laying four or five reddish-gray 

 eggs, marked with brown spots. They are 

 about the size of a Pigeon's egg and are 

 eaten by the Arabs. 



The Striped Sand Grouse {Pterocles 

 Lichtensteinii) inhabits Arabia and some- 

 times occurs in India. It resembles the 

 preceding species in habits. 



Pallas's Sand Grouse {Syrrhcqytes 

 paradoxus) represents a different group of 

 this interesting family. The first quill of 

 the wing terminates in a long bristle-like 

 point. The toes are short and very bi'oad, 

 connected by a fold of skin which when seen 

 from beneath, appears like the sole of a 

 foot without toes. [Contin. in Supplement] 



