220 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



Banded Sand Grouse. — This grouse is found through- 

 out India, but not abundantly anywhere. It frequents 

 bushy and rocky hills, where it lives in pairs. The eggs 

 are cylindrical in conformation, and of a dark green colour, 

 with black spots. 



The general appearance of the bird is a bright fulvous 

 yellow ; the back, scapulars, and tail banded or barred with 

 deep brown ; a narrow white band marks the forehead ; 

 this is followed by a broad black one, which is succeeded 

 by another narrow band of white, and after that is another 

 black line, widening behind the eye and ending in a white 

 spot ; the occiput and the nape are marked with black 

 streaks ; the quills are brownish black, with narrow paler 

 edges ; the median and great wing coverts and some 

 secondaries are broadly banded with deep black, and have 

 white edges. A triple band separates the fulvous breast 

 from the abdomen, the tirst maroon, the second cream, and 

 the third unspotted chocolate brown, which last is the 

 colour of the remaining parts where each feather is tipped 

 with white. The bill is red, orbital skin lemon yellow, 

 eyes dark brown. The total length is 10 inches, of which 

 the tail measures 4. The weight is about 7 or 8 

 ounces. 



THE PHEASANTS. 



Family — Phastanidcs. 

 Genus — 

 1. Gallcpcrdix. G. lumdata. Hardwick's Spur 



Fowl. 

 G. spadicea. Rufous Spur Fowl. 



G. ceylonensis. Ceylon Spur Fowl. 



