PTEROCLES. 523 



more densely set ; on the upper tail coverts they are larger ; while on the 

 scapulars they take the form of double spots or irregular bars. The primaries 

 and their greater coverts are much as in the male, but paler ; the central tail 

 feathers are isabelline, dark shafted, the point greyish black, and the rest of 

 the feather with narrow, transverse, irregular bars of the same colour on both 

 webs ; the lateral tail feathers are much as in the male, but have the basal 

 portions more tinged with isabelline, and more or less imperfectly barred. 

 The breast, abdomen, and wing lining are as in the male, but somewhat 

 purer and paler ; the abdominal patch is narrower and perhaps also some- 

 what paler. 



" Irides brown, bare ; orbital skin yellowish ; bill pale plumbeous, bluish 

 grey, or bluish white, always somewhat more dusky towards the tip ; feet pale 

 plumbeous or bluish white, paler towards the tips of the toes ; weight 8 to 1 2 

 ounces, but averaging about 10 ounces. 



"Male, length. 13-4 to 147 inches ; expanse 23 to 237; tail from vent 5-3 

 to 6 ; wing 7' 5 to 7-9, the wings when closed reach to within from 2*3 to 2-8 

 of the end of the longest tail feathers, viz., the central ones, which exceed 

 the others by from 175 to 2 ; bill at front 0*44 to 0*47 ; tarsus i to 1-05. 



" Female, length, 12-4 to 13*1 inches ; expanse 22 to 22-6 ; tail from vent 

 4 to 4'6;the central tail feathers only extending from 075 to 1*2 beyond 

 the rest ; wing 73 to 7*5 ; bill at front 0-4 to 0-44." Hume, Sir. F. i. p. 2 19. 



Common throughout Rajputana, Kutch, Kattiawar, Guzerat and the Punjab. 

 Breeds in Sind. Like the preceding species it is found in N. Africa, also in 

 N. W. Arabia, and in Beloochistan. 



PLATE. 

 1180- Pterocles arenarius, Pall., Nov. Comm. Petrop. vol. xix. 



p. 418; id., Rosso. As. ii. p. 73; Lath., Ind. Orn. ii. p. 642. Pterocles 

 arenarius, Tern. Pig. et. Gallin. vol. iii. p. 240; id., PL Col. Nos. 52, 53 ; 

 Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 518; P. Z. S. 1858, p. 501 ; Ibis, 1859, p. 352; 1860, 

 p. 69; Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 496; Sir. F. i. p. 219; iii. 418; iv. 179; JBl/. t 

 East. Pers. ii. 271 ; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 194. The LARGE 

 SAND GROUSE. 



" Forehead and crown greyish brown, with a faint pearly tinge, in some 

 specimens with a buffy tinge ; lores behind the eye and ear coverts light 

 grey, in some specimens, especially old males, the dark shafts of the feathers 

 of the lores, under the eye, and of the ear coverts are distinctly visible and 

 end in bristles ; nape and base of the neck, like the crown ; back, scapulars, 

 upper tail and wing coverts rich buff or orange buff with a subterminal dark 

 bar, the bases of the feathers paler buff, with waved barrings and vermicula- 

 tions ; primaries greyish and black shafted, the outer web of the outermost 

 quill dark brown, and with the two following tipped blackish, the rest the same, 



