PTEROCLES OEIENTALIS '241 



buff at the end, and the tail-coverts margined with yellow. Inner 

 coverts of the wing and scapulars like the back but with the terminal 

 spots still larger and yellow-ochre in colour ; visible portions of 

 secondary and median coverts yellow-ochre ; bastard-wing grey, the 

 outer web of the first primary brownish-black; remaining primaries 

 and secondaries white on the basal half and greyish-brown on the 

 terminal ; in nearly all birds the quills have a few curious streaks of 

 brown on either web, looking as if some of the barbs had decom- 

 posed ; shafts and under aspect of the quills dark brown, axillaries 

 white. Tail with central rectrices barred grey and buff, the terminal 

 inch a grey-green, tipped with a very narrow line of buff, remaining 

 tail-feathers the same but with a broad terminal band of white and 

 each pair of feathers becoming darker towards the outermost, which 

 are deep grey, merely stippled with rufous near the base. Breast 

 a clear grey followed by a black band, which runs up the shoulders 

 in front of the wings ; below the band there is a broad belt of vinous 

 or pinkish-grey ; remainder of abdomen, flanks and upper thighs and 

 round vent black or deep chocolate-brown, the bases of the feathers 

 rusty and frequently showing through ; remainder of lower tail- 

 coverts, thighs and feathering of tarsi white. 



Colours of Soft Parts. — " The feet and the back of the tarsi are 

 grey, in some an earthy-grey, in some pale french-grey, or pale 

 plumbeous, or dark greyish plumbeous ; the claws darker and horny ; 

 the irides are brown ; edges of eyelids pale lemon ; the bill is pale 

 bluish-grey, or pale plumbeous, often darker, .sometimes blackish at 

 the tip." {Hume.) 



Iris dark brown, bill bluish-grey, or plumbeous-grey, darker at 

 the tip and varying much in tone and tint. Legs and feet greyish- or 

 Ijluish-plumbeous. 



Measurements. — Wing 8'1 to9"75 inches ( = 205' 7 mm. to 247 (3 mm.), 

 averaging about 9'35 ( = 237-4 mm.), bill "44 to -53 { - lO'l to 

 ]3'4 mm.), averaging ■;") ( =12'7 mm.), tarsus '97 to I'lO ( = 24'6 to 

 27'9 mm.), averaging about 1'03 ( = 26'1 mm.), tail between 4 and .'') 

 (= 101-6 and 127-0 mm.-). 



Males. — "Length I'S'lb to 1475 inches; expanse 271 to 300; 

 wing 90 to 9'9 ; tail from vent 4 to 5 ; tarsus I'l to 1-25 ; gape 0-04 

 to 0-8. Weight 1 lb. to 1 lb. 4 ozs." (Hume.) 

 IG 



