PTEROCLES INDICUS 253 



lower back, upper tail-coverts and rectrices a rather chestnut-buff, 

 barred with black, the black bars increasing in width and becoming 

 V-shaped on the last, which with a few of their outer tail-coverts are 

 tipped j-ellow-buff. Scapulars like the back but more boldly marked, 

 many of the bars being somewhat grey and most of the feathers 

 being broadly tipped with yellow-buff. Wing-coverts buff, the inner- 

 most being tinted like the nape and gradually changing to an 

 ochreous-buff on the outer; a small patch next the scapulars marked 

 in the same way as those feathers. Wingiet, primary-coverts and 

 primaries dark brown, the last margined paler ; inner secondaries 

 like the scapulars, their coverts barred white and slate-colour with 

 deep buff edges and with the margins of the slate bars black. Under 

 aspect of wing a grey-brown, inclining to buff near the shoulders. 

 Chin, throat, side of head, fore-neck and upper breast ochreous-buff, 

 bordered by a broad, bright-chocolate band, which is succeeded by a 

 band of whitish-buff, both these bands running right up under the 

 shoulder of the wing to the back; rest of abdomen, flanks, thighs and 

 vent banded deep-brown or chocolate-black and white; below the 

 white breast-band the bars are obsolete, giving here the appearance 

 in some birds of a definite deep-brown or black band ; under tail- 

 coverts banded buff and black. 



" The colours of the soft parts vary somewhat. I have recorded the 

 feet as dirty yellow, pale reddish-olive, pale dingy-brown, pale orange- 

 brown ; the irides as brown, the skin round the eyes as yellowish- 

 green, and again bluish-yellow; the bill as brown, reddish-brown, 

 reddish-horny, dingy orange-red, and dark orange-red." (Hume.) 



" Bill red ; orbital skin lemon-yellow ; irides dark-brown ; feet 

 dull yellow; claws reddish." (Jerdon.) 



Measurements.— Wing G'25 to 7'25 inches ( = 158-7 to 184'1 mm.), 

 averaging 67 (, = 1702 mm.), bill at front '49 to 'SB (= 124 to 

 14-7 mm.), averaging '52 ( = 13-2 mm.), tarsus "88 to I'Ol ( — 22-3 

 to 25*6 mm.), averaging '95 ( 24'1 mm.). As regards wing measure- 

 ments it should be noted that only four birds out of over one hundred 

 measured had a wing exceeding 7 inches (, = 177'8 mm.), and only 

 some half a dozen a wing of under 6'5 ( --- 1651 mm.). 



" The sexes differ but little in size. From a very large series of 

 measurements taken in the flesh I find that — 



