318 GAME-BIRDS OP INDIA 



the surrounding parts are tinged with dark-buff or yellow-buff, some- 

 times even with buff-ochre. 



The yellow on the throat varies greatly in intensity and the 

 markings on the breast not infrequently descend right down to the 

 white abdomen. The thighs and feet are, also, sometimes quite 

 thickly covered with fine dark bars. 



Colours of Soft Parts. — " Bill and nails bluish-horny ; soles whitish." 

 (Hume.) 



Measurements. Males. — " Length 18 to 20 inches, expanse 29 to 

 31, wing 9'9 to 10'5, tail (according to development of central tail- 

 feathers) 7'5 to 9'5, tarsus (which even in the fresh bird is very hard 

 to measure) I'l to 1'3, bill from forehead to tip, '74 to '78." (Hume.) 



The small series I have been able to examine have had wings 

 varying from 9"98 inches ( = 254'3 mm.) to 10'63 ( = 270 mm.) with 

 an average of 10'35 ( = 261'9 mm.). I have also measured tails 

 up to 104 (= 263'10 mm.), though this was unusually long, and most 

 are only about 8 ( = 203"2 mm.). 



Description. Adult female — The adult female differs from the adult 

 male in having the chin and throat albescent and more or less freely 

 barred with brown ; the breast is barred throughout, and there is no 

 intermediate band of grey between the barred part and the white 

 abdomen. The whole of the upper parts and wing-coverts, which are 

 only vermiculated in the male, are regularly barred in the female, 

 except the rump, upper tail-coverts and central tail-feathers and even 

 these are decidedly more boldly marked than in the male. The general 

 tint also is more grey and less vinous, though it varies in both sexes. 



The upper plumage ma,y be in general tone sandy- grey, grey 

 much suffused with ochreous on scapulars and wings, or grey with 

 these parts as pink or vinous as in the male. There are birds from 

 Tibet and another specimen from Ladak in the British Museum 

 which have as beautiful a pink-vinaceous tint as there is in any of the 

 males, and they also have the wing-coverts covered with fine stippling 

 and vermiculations instead of the usual barring. One of these is 

 probably a young bird, and, though both are sexed females, there may 

 be some mistake. Below, the extent of the breast differs in various 

 individuals and in some birds is darker than in others. Soft parts as 

 in the male. 



