Mr. A. Newton on P alias's Sand-Grouse. 335 



3. Aphantochroa roberti. 



Aureo-viridescens, supra unicolor : subtus gula cnm mento lateri- 

 busque obscurioribus, ventre medio vix viridi lavato, plurnis late 

 pallido ochraceo terminatis, ventre imo albo : crisso viridescenti- 

 J'usco, plurnis albo clare marginatis : alls purpurasccnti-nigris, 

 tectricibus subalaribus viridescentibus : cauda aureo-virides- 

 cente ; rectricum duarum externarum media parte nigra, parte 

 apicali alba : rectricibus reliquis nigro terminatis : rostro 

 omnino nigro, pedibus nigerrimis. 



Long. tot. 4*7. r ), alae 2*7o, cauda? 1*9, rostri a rictu 1. 



Hab. In Prov. Vene Pacis regione calicla. 



Obs. Affinis Campyloptero cuvieri, Gonldi, ex Costa Rica, scd rostro 

 omnino nigro, et cauda; fascia nigra latiore distinguenda. 



A single specimen, marked male, is in the collection ; I have dedi- 

 cated it to Mr. Robert Owen. 



Remarks on Pallas's Sand-Grouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus). 

 By Alfred Newton, M.A., F.Z.S. 



Our Secretary having entrusted to my charge an example of Syr- 

 rhajites jiaradoxus which died at the Gardens a few days ago, I am 

 desirous of recording the results of my examination of it. 



I must apologize to the meeting for the imperfection of the ob- 

 servations I am about to offer. I have not been able to compare 

 the skeleton of this bird with that of other Sand-Grouse, except from 

 memory ; and I prefer to confine my remarks to the structure of the 

 sternal apparatus. This, as is the case in other species of the pecu- 

 liar group to which Syrrhaptes belongs, offers at first sight an un- 

 questionable resemblance to that of many of the Columbidce, parti- 

 cularly of those members of the family which possess terrestrial 

 habits. The similarity seems principally to arise from the form 

 of the lateral processes of the sternum, which in Syrrhaptes are 

 widened and partially united to the main portion as in Chamcepelia 

 and Geopelia, instead of being singularly prolonged and acuminated 

 as in the more typical Gallinee. The resemblance is also increased 

 by the exceedingly deep keel, which is of similar conformation to that 

 of the Columbidce generally. But here the likeness ends. The 

 coracoid bones, which I am inclined to regard as the most character- 

 istic in, as they are the most peculiar to, the ornithic skeleton, are 

 plainly framed on the true Gallinaceous model. The furculum is very 

 different from that of any other group of birds which I happen to 

 remember, and bears no resemblance to the same bone in the Pha- 

 sianidce or Tetraonidce. Still less, however, does it indicate any 

 approximation to the same part in the Grallce, or I may say of the 

 Columbidce, with both of which groups the Sand-Grouse have been 

 supposed to have affinity. From the peculiarities, therefore, of the 

 sternal apparatus I am fully of opinion that Bonaparte, and those 

 authors who have followed him, are cpiite right in elevating the Sand- 

 Grouse to the dignity of a family (Pteroclidce), though I imagine 



