become really tame, but this is very probably owing to 
their having a good range and means of concealment ; 
in hot weather they scratch little cavities in the gravel 
in their aviary and bask in them, often lying over on 
one side, with the free wing more or less elevated, to 
allow the heat to reach their flanks. 
The Act by which the Sand-Grouse are now protected 
in this country, although it came into force too late to 
be of much avail in putting a stop to the wanton and 
useless massacre of these birds, was humane and well 
intentioned as far as it goes. But a vast amount of 
nonsense has been written about the Sand-Grouse as a 
valuable addition to our British game-birds; I imagine 
that this has arisen from the application of the word 
“Grouse” to this species, as it has none of the 
qualities of a game-bird, and it is most improbable that 
in the most favourable circumstance and under the most 
strict protection it would ever become really naturalized 
in a country so eminently unsuited to its habits as our 
own ; but why, may I ask in the name of common sense, 
should a special Act be required for the protection of a 
harmless and very beautiful bird? ‘There can only be 
one answer—that the greed of bird-dealers and bird- 
collectors renders an enactment of this sort absolutely 
necessary ; and the only fault that I have to find with 
this one is that its operation is so hmited as to time 
that in all probability the next visitors of this most 
interesting species to Great Britain will be more ruth- 
lessly destroyed than their predecessors. 
