240 GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



PTEROCLES ORIENTALIS. 

 THE LAEGE, IMPERIAL, OR BLACK-BELLIED SAND-GROUSE. 



Sand-Grouse, Lath. Gen. Sijii. ii, p. 751 (1783). 



Tetrao orientalis, Lmn. S. N. i, p. 161 (1758); Haiicii, Von. Pcil. 

 p. 1502 {l'J-20). 



Tetrao arenarius, p,il. Xor. Com. I'ctivp. six, p. 118 (1775). 



Pterocles arenarius, Tcmmnick, Man. d'Orn. p. 300 (1815) ; Gmy, List 

 B. iii, p. 49; Blijth. Cat. p. 249; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 496; Ilumc, 

 S. F. i, p. 219 ; Adam, ibid. p. 391 ; Dresser, B. of E. \ ii, p. 61 ; 

 James, .S. F. iii, p. 418 ; Hume, ibid, iv, p. 4 ; Butler, ibid, iv, p. 4 ; 

 Wise, ibid. p. 230; Blanford, E. Persia, ii, p. 271; Butler, S. F. v, 

 p. 222 ; Hume d- Marsh. Game-B. i, p. 47 ; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 161 ; 

 Butler, ibid. p. 186 ; Marshall, ibid, viii, p. 492 ; Butler, Cat. B. of S. 

 p. 52 ; Hume, Cat. No. 799 ; Tufnell, S. F. ix, p. 200 ; Barnes, ibid. 

 pp. 219, 458 ; Reid, ibid, x, p. 61 ; Biddulph, ibid. p. 275 ; Barnes, 

 B. of Bom. p. 294 ; id. J. B. X. H. S. v, p. 333 ; Battraij, ibid, xii, 

 p. 345 ; C. G. Nurse, ibid, xiv, p. 388 ; S. E. Marshall, ibid, xv, 

 p. 353; Nicol. Camming, ibid, xvii, p. 691 ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. M. 

 xxii, p. 18; Gates, Game-B. i, p. 36: Blanf. Avifauna, B.I. iv, p. 59: 

 Indian Field, 21st Feb. 1907 ; Le Mess. L. and W. B. of In. p. 56 ; 

 Whitehead, J. B. N. H. S. sx, p. 967; Stuart Baker, ibid. xxi. p. 3 ; 

 SiirliiKj, ibid, xxiii, p. 159 ; Dchiic-IUiddijfe, ibid, xxiv, p. 161 (1915). 



Pteraclis arenarius, Slunpe, Haml-L., i, p. 50 ; Dates, Cat. Eijijs, B. M. 

 i, p. 86. 



Vernacular Names. Bhat-titur, Balht, Bakhy-titur, Hin. ; Banchur, 

 Kurnior, Peshawar; Burra Bhatta, Hariana ; Siija-sinah, Persian; 

 Katinya, Siiid ; Katarr, Arabic. 



Description. Adult Male. — Head above, neck and upper back grey 

 tinged with russet, except round the eye, where the grey is more 

 pure ; chin, upper throat, sides of the face and neck chestnut, extend- 

 ing as a collar round the neck, except in the centre where it pales 

 into orange and finally merges into the grey ; a triangular patch of 

 black on the lower throat, the base sometimes continued as short 

 lines under the chestnut of the neck ; back, rump and upper tail- 

 coverts grey, deepening to blackish-grey towards the last, each 

 feather pale-buff at the base and with a large drop of rather deeper 



