174 CASSEI.I.'S BOOK OF niKDi;-. 



partially covered by a skin. Tlie tarsi and toes are small, the latter in some species connected by a skin 

 as far as the first joint; the hinder toe is very slightly developed or entirely wanting. The claws are 

 short, slightly bent, blunt, and broad ; the bones supporting the wings are comparatively short, but the 

 quills very long ; the tail is formed of from fourteen to eighteen feathers, and is usually either rounded 

 or wedge-shaped at its extremity; in some species, however, the two centre feathers are of considerable 

 length. The plumage, composed of short, broad, rounded, and very stiff feathers, has a smooth 

 appearance, although in reality it is somewhat lax, and its coloration is such as best accords with the 

 earth or sand of the localities these birds are intended to occupy. The sexes usually differ in the 

 coloration of their plumage ; the young at first resemble the mother, but very soon attain their adult 

 garb. The PkrocLe are only met with in the Eastern Hemisphere, and are particularly numerous 

 in Africa, whilst in Europe, owing to the small extent of their favourite barren tracts, they are 

 comparatively rare. Africa and Asia have their distinct species, which usually remain throughout 

 the entire year in their native lands ; owing, however, to their great power of wing, they are capable 

 of flying to a considerable distance, and often make their appearance in countries very remote from 

 each other. One species alone migrates annually. 



- THE GANGA,' OR LARGE SAND GROUSE. 



The GANG.-i, or Large Sand Grouse {Ptcrocles arenarius), one of the largest members of the 

 group, is of a reddish grey on the head, shading into a somewhat deeper tint at the nape ; the mantle 

 is mottled with light or dark yellow and slate-grey, each feather having a round yellow spot at its tip ; 

 the throat is ochre-yellow, a band upon its lower portion brownish black ; the breast is reddish grey, 

 and has a very clearly defined streak on its surface, which is black or brownish black, as is the belly; 

 the quills are grey or greyish blue, tipped with brownish black above and deep black beneath ; the 

 secondaries are white at the roots ; some of the feathers on the upper wing-covers are partially of a 

 pure, unspotted ochre-yellow, and those of the lower covers white ; the two centre tail-feathers are 

 reddish brown, striped with pale black; the rest are deep grey, tipped with white above, and coal- 

 black on their lower surface. The feathers on the upper tail-covers are mottled like the back, and 

 those on the lower covers spotted black and white ; the plumage on the feet is of a dark brownish 

 yellow. The eye is deep brown, the beak dull blueish grey. Both sexes are about thirteen and a 

 half inches long, and from twenty-six to twenty-seven inches broad ; the wing measures eight inches 

 and three-quarters, and the tail four inches. The female is of a sandy yellow over the entire back and 

 sides of the throat, each of the mantle-feathers being striped with blackish brown, and those on the 

 head, neck, throat, and upper breast marked with small dark spots : the bands upon the throat and 

 breast are comparatively indistinct, and the brown and black belly paler than that of the male bird. 



The Ganga is met with in North-western Africa, and occasionally in the most southern countries 

 of Europe ; in Asia it is very numerous, appearing regularly in India during the cold season. " This 

 fine Sand Grouse," says Jerdon, " is only a winter visitant to India, arriving towards the end of September 

 and leaving in March. It frequents extensive open sandy plains, flies in vast flocks, being said to 

 be more abundant than P. exustus in those parts where it does occur. Like the others of this tribe, 

 it goes regularly twice a day to certain spots on the banks of rivers or tanks to drink, and it is fond of 

 basking in the sun and rolling on the sand. One writer records that he saw these birds leave their 

 roosting-places among sand-hills about sunrise, and collect in thousands on a hard bare plain, close to 

 where they usually drank, but that they were neither feeding nor drinking at that early hour, and came 

 there, he suggests, for the sake of basking in the early rays of the sun. This species seeks its food on 

 grassy plains and also on stubble-fields, and does so immediately after drinking." 



The flight of this Sand Grouse, we are told, is amazingly strong and rapid, and when roused it 



