"238 GAJIE-BIKDS OF INDIA 



Genus PTEROCLES. 



The first of our genera, Pteivcles, is also the largest, containing, 

 according to Sharpe and Ogilvie-Grant, ten species, of which four are 

 found in India. Of these, one is entirely resident ; but the other 

 three are, to some extent, migratory, although they breed either 

 close to, or actually within, the borders of the Indian continent. 



The differences between Pterucles and Pfcroclunis are hardly 

 generic, consisting, as already shown, only in the elongation of the 

 middle tail-feathers in the latter ; the differences are, in fact, 

 identical with those between Sphcnocercus spliomrus and fipheno- 

 cercus apicaudus amongst the Pigeons, though these two latter have 

 not yet been split into two genera. 



Owing to further researches, it has become necessary to revise 

 several well-known names of birds of this family ; but now that the 

 earliest names have been ascertained and applied there should be 

 no more changes, and the newer generations of ornithologists and 

 field-workers will be spared the alterations which we of the older 

 generation have to learn. The principal changes from Blanford's 

 Avifauna are as follows : — 



Pterodes arenarius = Pt. oricntalis. 

 Pterocles fasciatus = Pt. indicus. 

 Pteroclurus exustiis — Pt. senegatensis. 



Further, an examination of the immense material now available 

 in the British Museum, Tring, &c., shows that some of the species. 

 hitherto all lumped together under one name, vary considerably in 

 different parts of their range, and must therefore be divided into 

 geographical races or subspecies. These Hartert has dealt with 

 at length in his magnificent work on ' Palsearctic Birds.' 



The subspecies found in India are : — 



Pterocles coronatus at rat us. 

 Pterocles Uchtensteini arahicus. 

 Pterocles alchata caudacutus. 

 Pterocles senegalensis erlangeri. 



