EUPODOTIS. 97 



the head, its sides, and the neck all round, are pale reddish yellow, variegated 

 with dark brown, each feather having a broad median longitudinal band and 

 several transverse bars -, throat yellowish white ; upper parts as in the male, 

 many of the feathers with large patches of black in the middle ; wings and 

 tail as in the male, but with the white less extended and barred with black ; 

 lower parts yellowish white; feithers of the breast and sides with transverse 

 black lines ; lower tail coverts black shafted. In winter the male resembles 

 the female. {MacGilL) 



Hah. — The Punjab and N.-W. Provinces. A regular and tolerably abun- 

 dant winter visitant. Said to breed in Afghanistan. 



Gen. EupodotiS.— i^m. 



Bill long, pointed, straight, the tip curved ; legs long and strong ; male 

 with a pouch ; wings ample. 



123. Eupodotis Edwardsi, Gray, III. hid. Zool. pi. 59; Gould, 

 C. B. pi. 72; jferdori, B. hid. iii. p. 607 ; Murray, Hdbk,^ Zool., &.C., Sind, 

 p. 204; id.^ Vert, Zool. Si'nd^ p. 217 ; Hume and Marsh., Nests and Eggs iii. 

 p. 557; id.. Game Birds, i. p. 7, pi. ; Murray, Avif. Brit. hid. ii. p. 574, No. 

 1246. {Tokdar, Sind.) — The Indian Bustard. 



Male. — Top of head and crest black ; sides of the face, neck all round, 

 breast and entire lower parts white ; the feathers of the breast and lower part 

 of the neck long and hackled, those of the breast covered with minute dusky 

 mottlings ; a dark band across the breast ; back, scapulars, wing and upper 

 tail coverts brown, pale buff, or grey brown, beautifully mottled and vermicu- 

 lated with minute black striae ; primaries snuff brown, darker on their inner 

 webs, and tipped with white ; some of the inner ones with 3 — 4 white patches 

 on their inner webs ; secondaries slaty, much irrorated basally, and broadly 

 tipped with white ; tertials as long as the primaries, concolorous with the 

 back, also the lesser wing coverts ; median coverts black, tipped with white ; 

 greater wing coverts slaty grey, also tipped with white. Tail like the back 

 with a subterminal dark band and tipped with white ; flanks and sides dark 

 brown, mixed with whitish or dark olive brown ; vent and lower tail coverts 

 the same as the back, with white tippings to the feathers. 



Male, Length. — 45 to 50 inches; expanse of wing 85 — 95 inches; wing 

 24-5 to 29; bill from gape '4 to 47S ; tarsi 7-5. 



Female, Length. — 36 to 38 inches; wings 20 to 22 ; legs and feet creamy 

 yellow ; irides yellow ; bill yellowish at tip, dusky at the base. 



Hab.—'&xnd. (Thurr and Parkur), Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Kutch, Raj- 

 putana, N. Guzerat, Kattiawar, Jodhpore, Hydrabad (Deccan), Poona, Satara, 

 Berars, and the Central Provinces. According to Mr. Doig, {Hume, Game 

 Birds,) it is a permanent resident and breeds in the Thurr and Parkur districts. 

 It is said to wander occasionally in the cold weather to the plains along the 



13 B 



