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bird is so common as in the sand-desert between the northern boundary of the Merv oasis and the 

 gardens of Tschardjui. Here it lives in great numbers, and here one must look for the characteristic 

 signs showing a locality most suited to its habits. Should one, however, find these signs in some 

 other portion of the desert it by no means follows that the bird will be found there, for I know of 

 many such localities in Transcaspia where the bird is entirely wanting, as, for instance, in the 

 southern Usboj, and the district between the Caspian and the western spurs of the Balchan, 

 Kurianin-Dagh, and Atrek Mountains — or where it only seldom occurs, as between the central 

 portions of the Murghab and Tedgend. The place where it is most numerous appears to be 

 the central portion of the Karakum-Kizilkum desert, north and south of the Amu-Darja, and the 

 southern boundary of its range appears to be the southern boundary of the Transcaspian and 

 Afghan-Turcoman deserts." 



Severtzoff records it from Turkestan, where it is, he says (Turk. Jevotnie, p. 64), resident in 

 the north-western portion in the lower parts, on the salt-plains. 



The best information 1 have found respecting the habits of this bird is that furnished (I. c.) 

 by Mr. Zarudny, from which I glean that it is essentially an inhabitant of the sand-desert, 

 especially where the saxaul is found in abundance. It is usually seen running about in the 

 sand and amongst the saxaul bushes. Its flight, he says, " reminds one of that of the Nutcracker, 

 but is somewhat swifter, and 1 have never observed it to rise higher than 40 to 50 feet or to 

 cover any considerable distance. Usually it flies just above the ground, at most at an altitude of 

 a few feet. When frightened or when hurrying to a feeding-place it first flies and then runs 

 a short distance, alternating almost imperceptibly between the one and the other mode of 

 locomotion." 



Its note, Mr. Zarudny writes (I. c), " is not loud, but can be heard at a considerable distance 

 in the stillness of the desert, more especially early in the morning and in the evening, when 

 sounds are always most distinctly heard, and this bird calls oftenest then. The note is peculiar, 

 and though reminding one somewhat of the call of Scotocerca inquieta, yet bears no resem- 

 blance to the note of any other known bird. It consists of a quick repetition of peculiarly 

 modulated syllables, dschi-dschi-dschi, . . . which are uttered monotonously without any alteration 

 in tone. It appears to be the call-note of both sexes, and is intoned according to circumstances. 

 I have never heard it utter any other note, and do not think its voice is capable of any great 

 modulation. It certainly cannot mimic like the Common Jay (Garrulus glandarius), which is 

 often an excellent mimic, and we should not lose sight of the fact that in this respect it reminds 

 one of the Nutcracker, which is unable to imitate other sounds, and whose call-note is a continued, 

 monotonous screech." With regard to its food, he remarks, that " in summer it feeds on various 

 kinds of insects and their larvae, and especially beetles and bugs. It does not touch large 

 beetles, but swallows large larvae ; and I have often shot specimens which had the stomach 

 crammed with bright green Acanthosomce and Pentatomce, which form also the favourite food of 

 the desert Goatsucker. Podoces panderi is certainly less bloodthirsty than the true Jay, for I 

 have never known it to attack small vertebrate animals, not even lizards or small mammals which 

 are so common in the desert. Besides animal food, it lives on the seeds of various desert plants, 

 not only in the autumn, when insects are rare, but also in the spring, according to when the seeds 

 are ripe, which is the case late in May with some sorts. Where the railway runs the Ground- 



