OCR Text |
Show 1878.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLIDA. 249 rally in desert places, unknown in Malabar, in wooded districts of Central India, in Lower Bengal, and in Assam, Sylhet, and Burmah (Jerdon); Dukhun (Sykes) ; Punjaub (Adams) ; Ahmednagar district, Khandala (Fairbanks) ; Chotah Nagpur (Ball); Oudh (Irby) ; common in Sindh (Hume) ; Sambhur lake (Adams) ; Urn-hallah and Morar (Beavan) ; Kattiawar (Lloyd). This species, Capt. Shelley states (I. ci), is the most abundant of the various kinds of Sand-Grouse met with in Egypt, and ranges throughout that country, as well as Nubia. It goes in small flocks, uttering, when on the wing, a peculiar loud note which is heard for a considerable distance in the morning and evening, when on their way to their drinking-places. The localities in which he found them most abundant were Fayoom, Golosaneh, Karnak, and between Silsilis and K o m Ombo. Its nest is simply a hole in the sand, lined with dried grass ; and it breeds in April. According to Jerdon this is the most common Sand-Grouse found in India, and is met with in every part of the country, except in the wooded districts. It frequents the open plains and ploughed lands or fallow fields. This species feeds early in the morning, and between eight and nine o'clock goes to drink, and again visits the water at about four o'clock in the afternoon. At such times thousands congregate at these places; and they come from all quarters, flying at a great height, and announcing their presence by a peculiar loud piercing call. They stay but a moment at the water-side, and then fly off. They are difficult to approach, and when on the ground can hardly be distinguished from it, the colour of their plumage assimilating so closely. This Sand-Grouse feeds on various hard seeds, especially of the Alysicarpi, Desmodium, &c, as well as on grass-seeds and grain. It breeds in the Deccan and Southern India from December to May, and still later in Central India. The eggs are laid on the bare ground, and are of a greenish colour, thickly spotted with grey and brown, and nearly of the same thickness at both ends. If kept some time after being killed, this bird is very good as an article of food. In Oudh, says Capt. Irby, this species is very common on the sandy plains from January to July. Two eggs, which he found in June, resembled in size and markings those of Caprimulgus europceus; and if there had been any trees near the place, he would have referred them to some species of Goatsucker. Dr. Adams says that this bird, when wounded, spreads out its tail and wings, hiding its head under the breast, and emits a series of chuckles, like a fowl. As with the same species in India, he found the flesh very dry, and the only possible way of making them fit for the table was to remove the skin before cooking them. Male. Head, neck, entire upper parts, and breast sandy buff, lightest on the breast, and having a greenish shade on the back. Throat orange. Across the breast at the shoulders is a narrow black band, occasionally edged on its upperside with white. Rest of underparts bright chesnut, with the centre of the abdomen black. Wings like the back, each feather margined at the tip with a narrow line of blackish chestnut, and the outer webs of secondaries and |