44 THE THIBETAN SAND-GROUSE. 



a flock of about 20 on the Pamir on the 2nd of May, at an 

 elevation of 13,500 feet and shot four. 



Yarkand Proper is too low for this species, but Biddulph 

 thought he twice saw flocks flying overhead, once between 

 Kooshtak and Oitograk, and on the other occasion between 

 Kizzil and Kokrobat in the desert. 



I DO not think that I have ever met with this species at elevations 

 above 17,000 or below 12,000 feet, but I have, of course, only seen 

 it between 1st June and 15th September and during the colder 

 months it may descend lower. 



Although it keeps on barren and desolate steppes, in the 

 neighbourhood often of rocky ranges, / have never seen it 

 (the experience of others seems to be different^ on these or on 

 steep hill sides, and I have always noticed that there was sure 

 to be some water, fresh or brackish, within a reasonable distance 

 of its feeding ground. 



In the morning and afternoon it moves about on the more 

 or less undulating semi-desert plains, feeding on grass and 

 other seeds and berries, and any young green shoots it can find. 

 During the middle of the day it squats about, especially if the 

 day be hot, basking in the sun, very generally scratching for 

 itself a small depression in the soil. 



Both when feeding and taking its siesta, it is not uncommonly 

 in considerable flocks (I have seen several hundreds together) ; 

 but in summer, at any rate, it is perhaps more common to meet 

 with it in little parties of from three to twenty. Whilst feeding*, 

 it trots about more rapidly and easily* than its short feather- 

 encased legs and feet would lead one to suppose ; individuals 

 continually flying up and alighting a few yards further on, and 

 now and again the whole flock rising and flying round, 

 apparently without reason or aim. 



Sometimes it is very shy, especially in the early mornings and 

 evenings ; and though it will not, unless repeatedly fired at, fly 

 far, it will yet not let you approach within 100 yards ; but, as a 

 rule, during the heat of the day, you may walk right in 

 amongst them. They are precisely the colour of the sand when 

 basking, and often the first notice you have of their proximity 

 is the sudden patter of their many wings as they rise and dart 

 away, and the babel of their cries, which, if the flock be a 

 large one, is really startling for a moment. Once up, they 

 are off and away with a rapidity that takes a good shot, and 

 a hard-hitting gun to deal with satisfactorily, but they rarely 

 at mid-day go far ; and if the sun is bright, you may get shot 

 after shot out of the same party by following them up. 



* Prjevalski, I see, says it runs clumsily and slowly, generally forming a line. 

 I have watched it dozens of times, and never saw it form any special line. 

 Indeed, a flock is usually irregularly dotted about on a plot one or two acres in extent, 

 and as to clumsiness, if the ground be smooth (rough ground, of course, bothers 

 its short legs) it moves quite easily. 



