180 
THE SAND GROUSE. 
the most barren districts of the world ; and for abode 
there, they possess requisites equal to those belong ■ 
ing to the inhabitants of the moors or forest. These 
have been named Sand-Grouse, and inscientific lan- 
guage Pterocles. They inhabit the parched and arid 
deserts of Africa and Arabia, plains of burning sand, 
bounded only by the horizon, “ where no palm-trees 
rise to spot the wnlderness,” themselves almost the 
only living creature, often proving a most welcome 
sight, to those who, from necessity or avarice, at- 
tempt their dangerous passage. For abode in these 
deserts, a more extended locomotive power is neces- 
sary, the distances to be passed from the various 
watering places and supply of food being very great. 
We find the feet small, therefore formed for run- 
ning lightly on the burning sand, the bodies more 
light and slender than any of the birds we have 
been describing, and the wings lengthened, with 
the first quills longest ; the tail also is often long, 
thus showing an extent of development in the most 
important organs of flight, far be3’ond any of the 
others. They are thus enabled to pass over vast 
distances, and they sweep over these wastes, with 
an easy, noiseless, and extremely rapid flight. 
Swainson accounts these birds the tenuirostral 
group in this family, and as a departure from the 
Gallin®. The Prince of Musignano remarks, that 
some species of them lay a small number of eggs, 
and that the young remain for a considerable time 
in the nest, after being hatched. The colours of 
