54 PTEROCLID^E. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. A hallux present ; tarsi feathered in front 



only ; toes naked. 



a. Middle tail-feathers not produced PTEROCLES, p. 54. 



b'. Middle tail-feathers elongate and pointed. PTEROCLURUS, p. 58. 



b. No hallux ; tarsi feathered throughout, toes 



feathered ; middle tail-feathers elongate . . SYRRHAPTKS, p. 62. 



Many Sand-Grouse, especially the migratory forms, collect in 

 large flocks. All drink twice a dav, morning and evening, at a 

 regular time, and all have peculiar clucking notes, dissyllabic or 

 trisyllabic, uttered especially during flight. The note of course 

 varies in the different species. The sexes differ throughout the 

 family. 



Genus PTEROCLES, Temm., 1815. 



Bill small, arched above ; nostrils elongate, basal, almost covered 

 by frontal plumes ; wings long and pointed ; tail moderate, rounded 

 or wedge-shaped, the middle pair of rectrices not produced or 

 scarcely projecting beyond the others ; tarsi feathered in front, 

 reticulate behind ; toes short, naked ; a hallux present. 



Ten species are known from Africa, S. Europe, S.W. and Central 

 Asia ; of these four are Indian. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Abdomen black throughout P. arenarius <5 $ , p. 54. 



b. Abdomen banded black and white. 

 a'. Double black pectoral gorget. 



a". Hind neck not banded P.fasciatus ^ , p. 55. 



b". Hind neck banded P. lichtensteini $ , p. 57. 



b' No black gorget. 



c". Chin unspotted ; tarsi speckled or 



barred , P. fasciatus 2 , p. 55. 



.d". Chin spotted; tarsi unspotted .... P. lichtensteini $, p. 57. 



c. Abdomen all buff in $ , spotted with black 



in ^ -P- coronatus, p. 57. 



1316. Pterocles arenarius. The Large or Black-bellied Sand-Grouse. 



Tetrao arenaria, Pallas, Nov. Cone. Petrop. xix, p. 418, pi. viii 



(1775). 

 Pterocles arenarius, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 299 ; Blyth, Cat. 



p. 249 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 496 ; Bcavan, Ibis, 1868, p. 377 ; 



Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 249 ; Hume, S. F. i, p. 219 ; 



Adam, ibid. p. 391 ; James, S. F. iii, p. 418 ; Butler, S. F. iv, 



p. 4; v, pp. 222, 231 ; Wise, S. F. iv, p. 230; Hume $ Marsh. 



Game B. i, p. 47, pi. ; Hume, S. F. vii, p. 161 ; Butler, ibid. p. 186 ; 



Hume, Cat. no. 799; Tufnell, S. F. ix, p. 200; Barnes, ibid. 



pp. 219, 458 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 61 ; Swinhoe, Ibis, 1882, p. 118 ; 



Biddulph, ibid. p. 287; Swinhoe $ Barnes, Ibis, 1885, p. 131; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 294 ; id. Journ. Bom. N. H. Soc. v, p. 333 ; 



St. John, Ibis, 1889, p. 174 ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. M. xxii, p. 18. 



Bhat-titar, Bakht, Bakht-titar, H. ; Banchur, Peshawar; Burra Bhatta, 



Jlariana; 



