388 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



in a thin chalky flake which is of rather 

 a bright pink colour and is easily scraped 

 off. Where scraped off, it leaves a pure 

 white chalky shell below. The egg is 

 without gloss and without markings. The 

 eggs vary in length from 3*01 to 3*4 and 

 in breadth from 1*9 to 2-25. 



The sexes are alike both in size and 

 plumage. A band of grey encircles the 

 back of the head. The crown is some- 

 times denuded of feathers, but when 

 feathered it is, together with the whole 

 upper plumage, olive-brown with a rufous 

 tinge. The wings and tail are dull rufous 

 brown. The lower plumage is grey with 

 a tinge of brown on the breast. 



Length up to 17; wing up to 9^ and 

 tail about 3 ; legs greenish horny in front, 

 reddish behind and at the sides; irides 

 light brown ; bill yellowish horny ; bare 

 skin of head red. Weight rather more 

 than 2 Ib. 



