THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 887 



Adult Female. — Above, pale grey, profusely vermiculated with 

 black and with black patches on the inner secondaries, scapulars, 

 and to lesser extent, on the back. The feathers of these parts 

 have also, here and there, white central streaks or arrow-head 

 markings. On the head and nape the grey is more rufous in tint, 

 and the centre of the crown is a darker, blackish bi'own, with the 

 feathers white centred. Tail vermiculated grey and blackish 

 with a broad sub-terminal band of black on all but the central 

 feathers. 



Below finall}^ vermiculated grey and dark brown, the feathers of 

 the chin, throat and sides of the head with pale fulvous centres, 

 and those of the breast and abdomen with spatulate white centres 

 bordered by black. 



The whole appearance of the bird is grey instead of rufous- 

 brown, as in satt/ra, but the depth of colour varies considerably ; 

 in some the black markings on the upper plumage are sufficiently 

 pronounced to make the general tint a rather rich brown-grey, 

 whilst in others it is comparatively pale and dull. The under 

 plumage also varies a good deal, some birds being much 

 darker than others. A few females have the hind nape sufficiently 

 rufous to cause this part to contrast faintly with the rest of the 

 plumage. 



Colour of Soft Parts. — As in the male, but the legs without the 

 reddish tinge at any time of the year. 



Measurements. — " Length 24; expanse 32 ; wing 10; tail 9" : 

 (Hume). 



The measurements of 14 females are : wing, 225 to 250 mm. 

 average, 235 mm,; tail, 178 to 190 mm., one very short tailed bird 

 having it only 159 mm. average 184*5 mm.; tarsus, 62 to 75 

 mm. average 70 mm, ; bill at front, 17 to 19 mm.; weight 3 to 

 31 lbs. 



The Young Male is similar to the female in his first plumage, 

 but the marks below are rounder, more ocelli in shape and less 

 spatulate. 



After the first moult the males assume a blackish crown, the ear- 

 coverts become blackish with white centres, chin and throat sooty- 

 black, and the ocelli appear on the upper plumage here and there 

 and below the white black-edged ocelli are numerous, one or two 

 almost wholly black feathers showing on the heart and flanks. 



A certain amount of red is always assumed at this moult, in 

 some specimens practically the whole neck, fore neck and extreme 

 upper breast becomes a deep crimson brick-red, M^hilst in others 

 this colour is confined to the nape and upper breast. 



Distribution. — Apparently the Ganges forms the actual dividing 

 line between this species and the last, but there seems to be a 

 considerable area East and West of this river in which neither is 



