ON THE BREEDING OF THE SAND GROUSE IN CAPTIVITY. 341 



that a sharp look out should be kept for Grouse which are 

 anywise affected, and that these should be killed off and their 

 bodies cremated to prevent the diffusion of germs. But one 

 cannot look over grouse on a moor as if they were chickens in 

 a poultry yard, nor diagnose their condition when on the wing 

 at a distance. A great many diseased birds are sure to escape 

 detection until, too late, they are found dead or dying. 



Heather burning has much to recommend it, and, as at 

 present advised, we have more faith in that, and in the avoid- 

 ance of over-stocking, than in any other so-called preventatives. 



ON the BBEEDING of the SAND GBOUSE in CAPTIVITY 

 IN DENMABK. By Herluf Winge.* 



Translated and Communicated by Harold Baeburn. 



With regard to the Sand Grouse, Syrrhaptes paradoxus, in 

 a wild state in Denmark, in 1891, there is no reliable informa- 

 tion ; but Herr Bertel Christensen, of Kjobenhavn, has kindly 

 made the following communication on the great success he has 

 met with in inducing this bird to breed in captivity. He 



" Seeing that my pair of Sand Grouse (Steppehons) during 

 the summer of 1890, had laid eggs which were all fertile, though 

 no living chick was hatched,f I took great pains during the 

 spring of 1892 to obtain better success, which was happily 

 attained. 



The first egg was laid on June 15th, and, as appears below, 

 I obtained in all nine eggs. Seeing that the Sand Grouse, even 

 after being in captivity since 1888, were still very shy, there 

 seemed no probability that they would hatch their own eggs. 

 By the kindness, however, of the Directors of the Zoological 

 Gardens of Kjobenhavn, I obtained the loan of a bantam (Rage- 

 hone), which proved to be an excellent sitter, and from the middle 

 of May to the end of August carefully brooded the eggs of Sand 

 Grouse, Chinese and Erancolin-Quails (Frankolin-Vagtler) , which 

 I placed under it during the course of the summer. 



* ' Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Forening i Kjobenhavn,' 1892, pp. 126— 

 130. 



f Op. oit., 1691, p. 129. 



