BIEDS OF EGYPT. 219 



Silsilis and Kom Ombo. It breeds in April in small holes 

 which it forms in the sand and lines with dried grass. 



Male. — Head, throat, back, and upper tail-coverts sandy 

 colour, shaded with yellow on the face and neck and with 

 brown on the back; quills and primary coverts black, the 

 inner primaries and outer secondaries tipped with white ; 

 wing-coverts sandy colour, those nearest the shoulder strongly 

 shaded with brown, the remainder with yellow, and the 

 inner ones tipped with deep brown, some of the larger ones 

 having a white spot near the end ; scapulars brown, shading 

 into sandy yellow towards the ends of the feathers ; tail, 

 two centre feathers black, shaded with sandy colour, the 

 remainder brown, barred with black and tipped with bufi'; 

 a clear narrow black belt across the chest, edged with sandy 

 colom', which shades into chocolate-brown on the abdomen, 

 the centre of the latter being almost black ; tarsi and under 

 tail-coverts buff; beak dusky ; feet and iiides brown. 



Entire length 12 inches; culmen 0'5 ; wing, carpus to 

 tip, 7'5 ; tarsus 0'9. 



Female. — Upper parts sandy colour, the feathers mottled 

 and barred with black ; quills and larger wing-coverts similar 

 to those in the male ; sides of the head, throat, and upper 

 part of the chest sandy colour, mottled with black on the 

 lower part of the throat and crop ; a narrow double black 

 belt across the chest, the lower part of which, as well as the 

 abdomen and thighs, are black, narrowly barred with sandy 

 colom* ; tarsi and under tail-coverts buff. 



Specimens vary considerably in size. 



Eig. Gould, B. of Asia, part ii. 



