PTEROCLURUS ALCHATUS GAUDACUTUS 279 



PTEROCLURUS ALCHATUS GAUDACUTUS. 



THE LAEGE PIN-TAILED SAND-GEOUSE. 



Tetrao alchata, Linn. S. N. i, p. 276 (1766). 



Tetrao caudacutus, S. G. Chnel. Beise, iii, p. 9.3 (1774). 



Pterocles alchata, Blyth, Gat. B. A. S. p. 249; Jerdon, B. of In. iii, 



p. 500 ; Hume, S. F. i, p. 221 ; Blewitt, ibid, iii, p. 268 ; Hume, Cat. 



No. 801; Blanford, E. Persia, ii, p. 271; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 161; 



Hxtme d Marsh. Gavie-B. i, p. 77 ; Butler, Cat. B. of Sind, p. 53 ; 



Barnes, B. of Bom. p. 297 ; id. S. F. ix, p. 458 ; Le Mess. Game-B. 



p. 58 ; Gates, Game-B. i, p. 23 ; Bogle, J. B. N. H. S. xii, p. 529 ; 



Nurse, ibid, xiv, p. 388. 

 Pteroclurus alchata, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. M. xxii, p. 7 ; Blanford, 



Avifauna B. I. iv, p. 58 ; Stuart Baker, J. B. N. H. S. xxiii, p. 2 ; 



Maarath, ibid, xxv, p. 149 (1917) ; Thornhill, ibid. p. 486. 

 Pteroclidurus alchata, Sharpe,Hand-L. i, p. 50 ; Gates, Cat. EggsB. M. 



xi, p. 75. 

 Pterocles alchata caudacutus, Hartert, Vog. Pal. p. 1506 (1920). 

 Vernacular Names. None recorded. 



Description. Adult Male. — Centre of crown and nape grey, more 

 or less tinged with ochreous ; forehead, lores and sides of head rich 

 rufous-buff shading into ochreous on the neck all round. Chin and 

 throat black and a narrow line of the same running from behind 

 the eye nearly as far as the nape. On the back the ochre of the 

 neck merges into olive-ochre, a few of the feathers here and most 

 of the scapulars with a yellow subterminal spot and all margined 

 with grey ; lower back and rump yellow-buff barred with black, 

 upper tail-coverts even more yellow and the bars forming arrow- 

 heads on the longest. Tail barred blackish and buff at the base, 

 becoming dark olive-ochre at the tip and almost black on the pro- 

 longed portion ; the outer tail-feathers are tipped yellow and subtipped 

 dark blackish. Lesser, median and secondary-coverts white with 

 broad bands of bright chestnut-chocolate near the tips and with 

 black edges ; shoulder of wing, bastard-wing, primary-coverts and 

 primaries grey, the last named darker on the inner wel)S and 



