game-birds. 
261 
Turkestan and the region of Lake Baikal, Mongolia, and 
Northern China. 
Habits —The late General Prjevalsky writes After heir 
mornine feed the flocks betake themselves to some well or 
salt-lakf to di^ink, apparently preferring * HeS 
water. At the drinking-place, as well as f ’ 
these birds never settle on the ground without first descriDing 
a circle in order to assure themselves that there is no danger 
On alighting they hastily drink and rise again ; and, in ca 
Sere Oocb are lafgc, the S 
those at the back have time to alight, they know tne 
fln'nkin<T-Dlaces very well, and very often go to them fron 
distances' of tens 0/ miles, especially in the mornings between 
n ne anrten o’dock, but after twelve at noon they seldom 
visit these spots.” In autumn they are very gregarious, and 
lar^re flocks are to be met with in the neighbourhood of their 
breeding-ground, unless compelled to migrate to greater 1 - 
in their clap-nets. , . , j 
Ne3t.-None ; merely a slight hole scratched m the ground. 
Egg, -Three, sometimes four, in number. Like those of all 
other members of the group, the eggs are /erM/j oval m 
ipe and remarkably Rail-like in appearance, closely rcsem- 
£ hose of the Corn-Crake (Cr.a,- Ihe ground- 
Slour ii olive or brownish-butf, spotted all over, though not 
verv thickly, with brown and pale olive or grey, the forme 
markings being on the surface of the shell, the latter beneath. 
(Cf. Grant, t.c. p. 5 -) 
the game-birds, order galliformes. 
The following characters of the Order are summarised by 
M, Og“e &!nt {t. c., p, .5) -“The n~ls ' 
(fig. 5) and true basijiterygoid processes are absent, but are 
