24 Lloyd's natural history. 



Nest. — A slight depression scratched in the soil, sheltered by 

 a tuft of grass or low bush. 



Eggs. — Two, but more often three are laid; rarely four. 

 Pale salmon, and sometimes buffy stone-colour, with the usual 

 purple spots and clouds underlying specks and tiny streaks of 

 brownish-red. Measurements average 1*42 by 0*98 inch. 



X. THE AFRICAN PAINTED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES 

 QUADRICINCTUS. 



Pterocles quadricinctus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 252, 713 

 (1815) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 32 (1893). 



CEnas bicinctus, Vieillot {nee Temm.), Gal. Ois. iii. p. 60, pi. 

 220 (1825). 



Pterocles tricitictus, Swains. B. W. Africa, p. 222, pi. xxiii. 

 [female] (1837). 



Adult Male. — Under tail-coverts closely barred with black ; a 

 pectoral band of three bars, chestnut, white or buff, and black ; 

 throat not spotted with black; chest above the pectoral band 

 uniform ; and each wing-covert with one or hvo separate deep 

 black bars, narrowly edged on each side with white. The male 

 of this species closely resembles that of the Indian Painted 

 Sand-Grouse (P. fasciatus), but may be at once distinguished 

 by the markings on the wing-coverts. 



Adult Female. — No pectoral band ; no spots on the throat ; 

 upper breast uniform buff, contrasting with the belly, which is 

 barred with white and black ; tarsus barred with black. 



Range. — Extends from Senegambia in the west, to Abyssinia 

 m the east. 



Habits — Unknown. 



