PTEROCLES ORIENTALIS 243 



and under tail-coverts white with black bases. The tail-feathers 

 are barred black and rufous-buff, the latter colour being replaced 

 by white on the outer ones. Wing-quills and primary-coverts 

 grey, tipped with rufous, innermost secondaries and scapulars 

 like the back. The wing of this young bird measures (V5 inches 

 (=165-1 mm.). 



" The immature male differs from the adult in having the tips of 

 the primaries and primary-coverts edged with buff vermiculated with 

 black, some of the feathers of the top of the head with a black sub- 

 terminal band and rufous-buff margin, and several feathers of the 

 upper back and scapulars yellowish-buff barred with black as in the 

 female." {OcjUvie-Grant.) 



Distribution. — Pt erodes or ieu talis is found as far west as the 

 Canaries and throughout Northern Africa and to the Sahara from 

 the extreme north-west. It occurs also in the European countries 

 bordering on the Mediterranean, being common in Portugal and 

 Spain and rare elsewhere, but is again more often met with in South- 

 east Eussia. In Asia it occurs in Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Palestine, 

 Persia, Baluchistan, Afghanistan and thence into North-west India. 



Within Indian limits it is very common in the Punjab, Bikanir, 

 north-west Kajputana, Sind and the Eunn of Cutch. It is also 

 fairly numerous in northern Guzerat and the north-west of Central 

 India, and it occurs as far south as Kathiawar, where Colonel L. L. 

 Fenton informs me that " this bird is only an occasional visitor ; in 

 some years not a single bird is to be seen, in others a few only, 

 whilst at rare intervals, they come in large flights." In the south 

 of Central India it is much less common, but has been killed as far 

 south as Bhopal. 



There is also an account in the ' Indian Field ' of the 21st 

 February, 1907, by " Big Bore " of the shooting of three of these 

 Sand-Grouse in Mysore. This is, of course, far out of the 

 ordinary range, and though " Big Bore " was the nom-de-plume 

 of a well-known sportsman who had for a great many years 

 been a keen field-naturalist and collector, it is probable that he 

 made a mistake. 



To the east the Imperial Sand-Grouse straggles as far as Nepal, 

 from which state there is a female skin in the British Museum 



