It must not of course be forgotten that single birds of this
species, as of many others, may now and again be met with
quite beyond its normal limits. A single specimen of Stercorarius
pomatorhinus was caught at Moulmein; a single Likh
was shot at Sandoway in Arakan ; a single Phaeton fiavirostris
at Dilkhusha in N. E. Cachar; and a single bird of this present
species in the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. In this, as in all
other cases, it is only the normal limits that I seek to define,
though I shall always be only too glad to record the
occurrence of stragglers beyond these.
Outside our limits we only certainly know of its occurrence
along the North of Africa, from Algiers, in Egypt, Palestine
and Arabia Petrasa, in Northern Nubia, and along the shores
of the Red Sea as far south as Massowa in Abyssinia. Hutton
tells us that it is common throughout the southern parts of
Affghanistan. Doubtless it also occurs in Beluchistan, and probably
in many places along the Arabian Coast, if not in the
interior, but I do ?/o/as yet accept its occurrence in either Central
Asia, Southern Europe, or Senegambia ; all of which are localities
commonly (and as I think on insufficient evidence) assigned
for this species.
THE COMMON Sand-Grouse, though very frequently met with
in considerable packs numbering from twenty to two hundred
individuals, is never, so far as my experience goes, seen in
those enormous flocks which P. alckata and, in a somewhat
lesser degree, P, arenarius affect. In all parts of the country
where I have shot them, I have most frequently seen them in
parties of from five to thirty.
In their habits they are most regular and methodical. Almost
the moment the sun is above the horizon (except in very
cold weather, when they are a little lazy) they may be seen
trotting about and feeding in stubble fields, near the margins
of scant}' patches of cultivation surrounded by waste land,
or on old fallows scantily dotted about with grass, silver-scale,
and similar wild seed-bearing plants.
They live wholly on seeds, and no small seeds seem to come
amiss to them. I have found millet, grass seeds, pulses of
various kinds, and all kinds of, to me, unknown seeds in their
crops, but very seldom even a single insect, though I have
noted two cases in which I found, in one ants, in the other small
beetles, amongst the seeds.
From about 8 to 1 0 A.M., according to season, they are off to
some stream, river, or tank to drink, and where, or at times when,
water is scarce and drinking places few and far between, very
considerable numbers resort to the same place and afford opportunities
for very pretty sport, if several guns lie up at distances
of from one to two hundred yards from the pool and shoot the
birds fairly as they come and go high over head, Their flight is
THE COMMON SAND-GROUSE.
then swift and strong, and they will carry off a good deal of shot.
As for the native plan of lying up close to the water and potting
party after party as they alight, I hardly think that it comes
within the category of sport, though it may yield huge bags.*
Their approach is always notified, by their peculiar chuckling,
far-reaching double call, which they continually utter during
flight, and which, even when one is on the alert, is often the
first intimation received of their passing over head. They may
often be seen flying very high up, so high that, despite their peculiar
shape and flight, it would be difficult to make certain what
they were but for their far-resounding cry.
Arrived at the water, round which, if at all alarmed, they circle
several times, they drop suddenly on to some smooth spot
not far from the water's edge and there squat motionless, at times
for a few seconds, at times for two or three minutes. Then
they run quickly to the water's edge and drink a good hearty
drink. Then they pick about a little in the sand, very often
wash themselves freely, perhaps take a second short sip, and
then, presto, with one consent, the whole party is off like a
shot. Others may be coming or going, but the several parties
take no notice of each other.
After the morning drink, they again resort to feeding ground,
not that where they fed earlier, but much more open and bare
ground, ploughed fields and perfectly open sandy plains, and
there they feed in a desultory sort of way, now squatting, now
toddling about, till the full heat of the day comes on, when all
subside into little hollows or little nooks behind some clod, and
enjoy their noontide siesta, much as I have already described
in the case of other species.
By 3 or 4 o'clock, according to season, earlier in cold, later
in hot weather, they are again on the move, feeding sometimes
where they have rested, but more commonly in some adjoining
field or dry jhil, to which they move, not as a rule in one
flight, but by a series of little flights, some in the rear rising
and settling in front, and so on.
At from 4 to about 6 o'clock, earlier or later again according
to season, they are off for their evening draught. If there is
plenty of water about, they do not,' according to my experience,
go twice running to the same spot, but of course in many parts
of Rajputana and the Punjab they have no choice; there
may be no other water within a dozen miles, and then drink
they must, and no amount of firing will keep the poor things off
for that evening, though the next day they will abandon the
neighbourhood, even though they have eggs. I know of a
* Writing from Sind, Mr. Doig remarks :—
" The general way of shooting them here is from the back of a camel, and a good
many may be killed this way, but the biggest bag I have known made was obtained
by Mr. Davidson, who hid himself close to a pool of water where these birds were
in the habit of drinking, and in one morning before breakfast got fifty-two couple."