6 ALLEN S NATURALISTS LIBRARY. 



all over, though not very thickly, with brown and pale lilac or 

 grey, the former markings being on the surface of the shell, the 

 latter beneath. Three is the usual number, though it is said 

 that four are occasionally found. 



II. TIBETAN THREE-TOED SAND-GROUSE. SYRRHAPTES 

 TIBETANUS. 



Syrrhaptes tibetanus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1850, p. 92 ; Hume and 

 Marshall, Game Birds of India, i, p. 43, pi. (1879); 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 5 (1893). 



Adult Male — Differs from 6*. paradoxus in having the abdo- 

 men white, with no black patch; the black vermiculations, or nar- 

 row wavy markings, on the back of the neck and interscapular 

 region, are very fine, and gradually become obsolete on the 

 wing-coverts and scapulars. Total length, 16 inches; wing, 

 9'8 ; tail, 7*9 ; tarsus, i. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but having the vermicu- 

 lations and markings equally well-defined on all the upper- 

 parts of the body. Total length, 15 inches ; wing, 97; tail, 7-4 ; 

 tarsus, I. 



Nestling. — Closely resembles that of S. paradoxus. 



Range The home of this species is Tibet, where it inhabits 



the Alpine tracts, from 12,000 to 18,000 feet. In the north 

 it extends to the steppes of Koko-nor, westwards to the Pamir, 

 and southwards to Ladak and the upper portions of the Sutlej 

 Valley. Mandelli obtained specimens from the part of Tibet 

 immediately to the north of Sikhim, but how far east it is met 

 with is somewhat uncertain. 



HaMts. — The semi-desert plains of the desolate steppes are 

 the favourite haunts of these birds, and there they feed on 

 grass, seeds, and berries, being generally met with in pairs or 

 small flocks. Mr. Hume says : " During the middle of the day 

 it squats about, especially if the day be hot, basking m. the sun, 

 very generally scratching for itself a small depression in the 

 soil. Both when feeding and taking its siesta, it is not un- 



