174 Lt.-Col. Sir O. B. St. John on the Birds 



Swinlioe remarks,, it is not uncommon to find both species 

 with intermediate examples in a single flock. But pigeons 

 found in the vicinity of Asiatic cities probably are always 

 descended more or less from domestic varieties. Afghans 

 and Persians are great pigeon-fanciers, and keep swarms of 

 pigeons for amusement or for the sake of the dung, the most 

 valuable manure in the east. Away from cities white-rumped 

 birds are much rarer, and occasionally, at least, found in 

 separate flocks. They appeared to me and to other observers 

 persistently smaller than the grey-rumped pigeons, and to be 

 more decided rock-lovers. But the common wild pigeon of 

 the country is certainly intermediate, and it is possible that all 

 the white-rumped birds are descended from a domestic 

 cross. 



1G9. TuRTUK COMMUNIS, Selby. 



Rare. Col. Swinhoe obtained one specimen at Kandahar. 



170. TuRTUR CAMBAYENSis (Gmel.). 

 Common throughout our province. 



171. TuRTUR RisoRius (Linn.). 



Common above the passes and about Kandahar. 



172. Pterocles ARENARius (Linn.). 



A few remain to breed, but the majority of the immense 

 flocks seen in winter move northwards in the spring. 



173. Pterocles ALCHATA (Linn.). 



Not so generally dispersed as the last species. It seems 

 a more strictly desert form than P. arenarius, which rather 

 affects cultivated ground, I found P. alchata in July between 

 the Helmund and Kandahar, so that it must breed there. 



174. Pterocles coronatus, Licht. 



This is the only small Sand Grouse of Southern Afghan- 

 istan, and is very generally diffused, though nowhere nu- 

 merous. It is commonly seen in small parties of half a 

 dozen or so, and is more active on the ground than other 

 Sand Grouse, running about and picking up seeds like a Par- 

 tridge, whereas P. alchata and P. arenarius are leisurely and 



