524 PTEROCLID^E. 



but edged on the tip and the outer edge of the inner web near the tip, with 

 whitish, the under surface black ; the secondaries basally white or fulvous 

 white, with faint vermiculations on the exterior webs, all broadly tipped dusky, 

 and the margin of the exterior web blackish ; tertiaries dusky grey, or buffish, 

 with vermiculations basally, and margined at the tips on the exterior web with 

 rich buff or orange buff ; the visible portion of the lower series of the median 

 and greater coverts rich buff or orange, forming in the closed wing, witja the 

 outer edges of the tertiaries, an oblique bar of rich buff; edge of the wing 

 fulvous white ; under wing coverts pure white ; chin, upper throat, sides of the 

 neck to behind the ear coverts and nape deep chestnut ; middle of the throat 

 with a large triangular patch of black ; breast dull ashy or pearly grey, crossed 

 on the lower part by a broad black band, succeeded by a broad buffy one, 

 about, four times the width of the black band ; abdomen, vent and thigh 

 coverts deep black ; under tail coverts black, tipped with white ; tail with the 

 central tail feathers like the back, or orange buff, with numerous dark bands, 

 and slightly elongated beyond the others ; lateral feathers dusky rufescent, 

 with darker narrow bars, tipped white, and with a subterminal black band ; 

 tarsal feathers fulvous white; bill bluish ; feet dull yellowish brown ; irides 

 dark brown. 



"Length. 1 1 75 to 12*5 ; wings 9-25 ; tail 4 to 4/25 ; tarsus ri. 



" The female differs in having the whole head and upper parts, and also the 

 breast narrowly barred with brown. The pectoral band is narrower and the 

 chin fulvous with a narrow black edge." 



Hal. The desert regions of Asia, Southern Europe and North Africa ; 

 Asia Minor and Palestine. Everywhere common in Sind, Punjab, N.-W. 

 Provinces, Oudh and Bengal ; Kutch, throughout Rajputana, Kattiawar and 

 North Guzerat ; Beloochistan, Persia, Afghanistan and Eastern Turkistan. 



1181. PterocleS exUStUS, Tern. PL Col. Nos. 354, 360; Rupp. 

 Les. Trait. Orn. p. 517; Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 154; Gray, Gen.E.iii. 

 p. 519; Jerd., Madras Jour. xii. p. 3 ; Handlist, Syst. Orn. W. A/r. p. 205 ; 

 Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 502; Hume, Sir. F. vii. p. 160; Elliott, P. Z. S. 1878, 

 p. 248 ; Murray, Hdbk. t Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 2O2. The COMMON SAND 

 GROUSE. 



PLATE, fig. 5. 



Head, .nape, sides of the neck and breast isabelline with a faint fulvous 

 tinge ; lores, sides of the face, chin and throat yellowish or light orange buff ; 

 back and rump like the breast, the feathers with darker tips; scapulars tipped 

 greyish fulvous ; upper tail coverts with a greenish cast ; primaries dusky 

 brown, all, except the four outermost broadly white on their inner margins 

 near the tip, the innermost also tipped white ; secondaries hair brown, their 

 terminal third with buffy edges on their exterior webs ; tertiaries the same, 

 but with narrower buff edgings ; wing coverts buff, the feathers tipped narrowly 



