native haunts in the steppes of Asia, and the spread of 
its invasions on the continent of Europe, I must refer 
my readers to the authors from whom I have so freely 
quoted above; from the accounts given me by friends 
who had the good fortune to meet with these Sand- 
Grouse in 1888 and 1889, it would appear that 
although generally shy and wary, they were in certain 
instances remarkably tame, and permitted a close ap- 
proach, that they are very swift in flight, that they 
were often mistaken for Golden Plovers, and that their 
food consists of various small seeds. 
The eggs are said to be three in number, laid on 
scratchings in the sand in April or May, elliptical in 
shape, and stone-buff blotched with purple-brown in 
colour. I received seven of these birds alive in 1888, 
but only one of them was an authentic British spe- 
cimen; I am not certain as to whence the others were 
originally obtained, but have some reason to believe 
that they were taken in nets on the north coast of 
France; they thrive well in the open air during the 
summer, except during a continuance of wet weather, 
but we found it necessary to house them in the winter. 
They are peaceable birds and agree well with the two 
species of European Sand-Grouse (Péerocles arenarius 
and P. alchata), whose habits exactly resemble their 
own ; they are continually uttermg a sort of crooning 
chuckle, and are very fond of scratching and dusting in 
sand or ashes. From the peculiar formation of their 
feet they naturally prefer a flat surface; their move- 
ments, even on clipped turf, are very awkward. My 
birds, although by no means exceedingly wild, have not 
