72 THE COMMON SAND-GROUSE, 



case in the Sirsa District in which this cruel sport was practised 

 by two guns down at the water's edge, and a great number 

 killed, and during the next week a large number of eggs were 

 found deserted and destroyed (I suppose by crows and 

 mongooses) in what was known to be a favourite breeding place 

 two or three miles from the tank. 



Towards evening they settle down for the night, in some 

 quite open place, and whereas during the noonday nap, they 

 are scattered far and wide in twos or threes, during the night 

 they gather quite close together, I suppose for facility of watch 

 and ward. 



And during the night they must keep better watch than dur- 

 ing the day, for often when crossing the huge Oosur plains in 

 Etawah after dark, at times after midnight, I have heard flocks 

 of them rise at considerable distances from me. Moreover, I have 

 never found their feathers about in the morning, as I have of so 

 many ground-roosting birds, showing where a Jackal or a Fox has 

 made a lucky hit. If one remembers how abundant this species 

 is in many districts, and how superabundant in the same places 

 Foxes, Jackals, and wild Cats, and also that the Sand-Grouse 

 leaves a strong scent by which a dog will nose out a wounded 

 one hidden amongst the clods of a ploughed field in a moment, 

 it does speak well for their chaukidars that none of these little 

 Sand-Grouse ever seem to fall victims to these midnight marau- 

 ders. 



Still native fowlers will at times surprise them, and during 

 dark nights, in some fashion, creep up and drop a net over the 

 entire party. The net used is a very light one, a truncated 

 triangle, about 8 feet wide at bottom, 4 at top, and about 4 wide, 

 attached to two light slender bamboos, each about eight feet long. 

 The covey is marked as it goes to roost, and then the man about 

 10 o'clock (the night must be dark, and is all the better for being 

 windy) steals up and drops the net over the whole pack. I went 

 out several nights to try and be present at a capture, but on 

 only one occasion were any caught, and then only two, but 

 a few nights after, the men, who were aherias, and who were still 

 in my camp, snaring ducks and quail, brought in some forty that 

 they professed to have captured in this way at one haul, and they 

 were polite enough to hint that it was the bad smell of a 

 European that had foiled their efforts on previous occasions. 

 They were, doubtless, humbugging in some way, but one thing 

 is certain, that they do constantly manage to catch whole packs 

 in some way or other during dark nights, and are, therefore, 

 though they certainly do not look so, considerably sharper than 

 " the beasts of the field/' 



Except when coming and going, as above indicated, to water- 

 ing places, this species never per se, I think, yields much 

 sport, as the parties are scattered far and wide, and you can 

 never make sure of many shots ; but when out on what, as boys, 



