THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. Ill 



land, and the Kalahari are frequented by the different varieties of 

 these birds in extraordinary numbers, and as many as fifty have been 

 potted with a right and left shot while drinking along the margins. 

 The flesh of all the Sand Grouse, with, perhaps, the exception of the 

 Yellow-throated species (P. gutteralts), is exceedingly tough, but may 

 be slightly improved by skinning, which operation should only be 

 performed immediately before cooking. When baked the improve- 

 ment is more marked. 



The Double-banded Sand Grouse {Pterocles bicinctus). 



\_Stze somewhat smaller than the last described, which, however, 

 it resembles very much in general colour, the second hand between 

 the breast and belly being black _ in place of reddish brown ; white 

 patches over the eyes; back, less mottled in appearance and wanting 

 in the purplish spots; belly, dirty white; legs, feathered!] 



This is the most common of the Sand Grouse of the Transvaal, 

 Bechuanaland, Damaraland, Matabeleland, and the Kalahari, but it 

 does not range South of the Orange River. Its habits are in every 

 way identical with the Namaqua, it being almost impossible to 

 distinguish the voice of one from the other. 



The Variegated Sand Grouse {Pterocles variegatus). Fig. 56, 

 Plate Xl.-—{Gheel Patraise of the Dutch.) 



\_Size the same as the Namaqua Sand Grouse. General colour 

 above, light olive, profusely covered with small white spots and here 

 and there dashes of canary yellow , the latter colour appearing in the 

 bare space round the eyes; breast, purplish brown, well spotted with 

 white; wing feathers tipped with white ; legs, feathered:] 



In common with the Double-banded variety, the " Golden Partridge " 

 frequents the countries North of the Orange River, South of which 

 it is only very rarely met with. Its habits are also similar to that 

 just mentioned, except, perhaps, that it only delays for an instant at 

 the water when drinking, the note, moreover, being less sharp and 

 piercing. When proceeding to the vleys in the morning and evening 

 to drink, this variety intermingles freely with the two already 

 described, and it is not by any means uncommon, after firing a 

 charge of shot into a flock, to find the bodies of the three species at 

 the same time among the slain. 



