450 Mr. B. Alexander —An Ornithological 
route of flight of these birds. At evening, always at the 
same time, they would travel in batches overhead, with a 
rapid flight towards the river, after a brief time to return the 
same way as they had come—forming shadows that grew 
gradually less as they passed into the outer dusk. 
During our trek to Chicowa we frequently observed these 
Sand-Grouse, as we had to cross the sandy dried-up bed of the 
winding Mesanangue river many times in our route. At one 
place in particular these birds mustered very strong. It was 
at a group of pools among boulders of rock in the dried-up 
bed of the river. Here we stopped for the night. Towards 
dusk a great pilgrimage of Sand-Grouse visited these precious 
grails of water. Batch after batch came noiselessly down 
and formed themselves into dense little crowds by the water. 
At the approach of a native they would all rise up with a 
prolonged round of their startling cries and disappear into 
the gloom down the watercourse with the silence of Bats, but 
only to return after a short space and drop down again to the 
water like a shower of spent bullets. As the moon rose, they 
commenced to feed, and remained at the pools throughout 
the night, leaving as soon as dawn appeared. 
On August 15 we obtained a female with ovaries fully 
developed. As the breeding-season approaches, the flocks 
split up, and the pairs scatter over a considerable area of 
country. 
Adult S (Mesanangue, August 26, 1898). Total length 
(measured in the flesh) 9*8 inches, wing 7. Iris dark brown ; 
bill brownish black, at gape yellow; eyelids, naked skin 
round eye yellow ; feet brown. 
Adult $ (Mesanangue, August 14, 1898). Total length 
(measured in the flesh) 9*9 inches, wing 6*5. Coloration as in 
male. 
243. Baleaeica regulorum (Bennett). 
Balearica chrysopelargus , Sharpe, Cat. Birds, xxiii. p. 274. 
A party of three alighted on the river near Zumbo on 
December 2. An individual was observed in captivity at 
Matacania. 
