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THREE-BANDED SAND-GROUSE. 



Pterocles tricinctus, SWAINS. 

 PLATE XXIII. 



Throat and breast fulvous, the latter crossed by three collars 

 one of rufous, a second of white, and a third of black ; 

 the rest of the body beneath crossed by numerous black 

 and white bands ; tail rounded, fulvous, banded with black. 



THE deserts of Africa appear to be the metropolis of 

 the beautiful genus Pterocles or Sand-grouse, a group 

 of birds which seem as much appropriated to the hot 

 sandy tracts of that continent, as are the true grouse 

 to the snowy wastes of the Arctic regions. They are 

 mostly of a small size for gallinaceous birds, being 

 inferior to our partridges; but their plumage, without 

 being bright or showy, is so particularly elegant, 

 that they are peculiar favourites with most ornitho- 

 logists. MM. Temminck and Lichtenstein have 

 paid particular attention to this group, and have 

 figured or described most of the species. It appears, 

 however, that the one now before us will not accord 

 with any of their descriptions, and we shall accord- 

 ingly give such a detailed account of both sexes as 

 will prevent it from being confounded with any 

 other. 



