20 Lloyd's natural history. 



the bare ground not far from water. Their flight is exceedingly 

 strong, and on the wing they somewhat resemble some of the 

 Pigeons, especially Columba phtzonota. On the approach of 

 danger, they crouch and lie very close to ths ground, being 

 then extremely difficult to see ; when disturbed, they do not 

 run, but rise quite suddenly with a loud whirring noise. 



Eggs, — Three, placed on the bare ground amongst grass, 

 without the slightest appearance of a nest. 



VI. THE MASKED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES PERSONATUS. 



Pterocks personalis, Gould, P. Z. S. 1843, p. 15 ; id. Voyage of 

 the "Sulphur." Zool. p. 49, pi. 30 (1844); Ogilvie-Grant, 

 Cat. B. Brit Mus. xxii. p. 26 (1893). 



Adult Male. — Belly rufous-buff, closely barred with black; 

 tarsi uniform buff, not barred with black or brown ; under tail- 

 coverts uniform buff; upper surface of the shaft of the first 

 flight-feather dark or dusky, never white ; a broad black band 

 surrounding the gape; upper back uniform isabelline-brown. 

 Total length, 11 6 inches ; wing, 8-5 ; tail, 37 ; tarsus, 1. 



Adult Female. — Distinguished by having no black band round 

 the gape ; the upper back^ as well as the lower breast and belly, 

 barred with black. Total length, 11*5 inches; wing, 8; tail, 

 3-4 ; tarsus, 1. 



Range. — Peculiar to the island of Madagascar. 



VII. CLOSE-BARRED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES LICHTENSTEINI. 



Pterocles /icntensteini, Temm. PI. Col. v. pis. 25, 26 [Nos. 355, 

 361] (1825) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. 

 p. 65, pi. (1878); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 

 29 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — Tarsus uniform white; under tail-coverts closely 

 barred with black ; a pectoral band of four bars, buff, reddish- 

 brown, buff and black ; throat spotted with black ; chest above 

 the pectoral band narrowly barred with black ; the wing- 



