408 PODOCES 



but its eggs, 4 to 6 in number, differ in having the ground 

 colour clay-yellow, and not greenish grey. In size they average 

 about 1-05 by 0'75. 



580. HENDERSON'S GROUND-CHOUGH. 

 PODOCES HENDERSONI. 



Podoces hendersoni, Hume, Ibis, 1871, p. 408 ; id. Lahore to Yark. 

 p. 244, pi. 22 ; Gould, B. of Asia, v. pi. 61 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. iii. p. 151 ; Bianclii and Berezovski, Ptitz. Gansu, &c. p. 123. 



Kil-yurgha, Kum-sagJiizghani, Kum-tuchd, Turki ; Holo-goro, 

 Mongol. 



ad. (Yarkand). Upper parts warm rufous isabelline, paler on the 

 upper tail-coverts ; under parts pale isabelline, nearly white on the chin, 

 throat, and lower abdomen ; crown and nape, wings and tail glossy 

 purplish black ; primaries white except at the base and on the terminal 

 portion which are purplish black ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. 

 Culmen 1'75, wing 5 '75, tail 4'3, tarsus T79 inch. Sexes alike. 



Hob. Yarkand, Mongolia, the Gobi Desert, and Northern 

 Tibet. 



It inhabits desert plains and resembles P. panderi in its 

 general habits, and likewise feeds on insects and seeds of various 

 kinds. So far as I can ascertain its nest and eggs are as yet 

 unknown, but it is said to breed in May and June. 



581. WHITE-TAILED GROUND-CHOUGH. 

 PODOCES BIDDULPHI. 



Podoces biddulphi, Hume, Str. Feath. 1874, p. 503 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. iii. p. 151 ; Gould, B. of Asia, v. pi. 60 ; Sharpe, Second 

 Yark. Miss. p. 22, pi. iv. 



$ ad. (Turkestan). Differs from P. hendersoni in having the sides of 

 the throat glossy black, the middle of the throat intermixed white and 

 black, the secondaries tipped with white and the tail white, the shafts of 

 the feathers, and a line down the middle of the middle ones deep black ; 

 bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 1 '85, wing 6*1, tail 4*3, tarsus 

 1-81 inch. Sexes alike. 



Hob. Eastern Turkestan. 



In habits this species resembles P. panderi, and is wild and 

 wary. Its flight like that of its congeners is heavy, flapping, 

 undulating, something like that of a Woodpecker. Its nest 

 and eggs are as yet unknown. 



