PTEROCLEX 653 



tarsus feathered, the feet dull lead-grey ; iris brown. Culmeii 0*65, 

 wing 9'2, tail 4*1, tarsus 1-3 inch. Female pale sandy ochreous, the head, 

 neck, and upper breast spotted, the upper parts and middle tail-feathers 

 cross-banded with black ; sides of head and upper throat clay-yellow, 

 lower throat and breast more rufous ; a blackish stripe across the throat 

 and a black band across the lower breast ; abdomen black ; lower tibia 

 and tarsus ochreous ; under tail-coverts dirty white. 



Hal}. South-western Europe ; a rare straggler in other parts 

 of Southern Europe ; North Africa ; Canaries ; South-western 

 Asia to Turkestan, and N.W. India in winter. 



Inhabits the plains, especially in sandy desert localities ; in 

 Spain it is found in the dry marismas. It is very shy and 

 wary, and extremely swift on the wing, and has a peculiar loud 

 croaking cry. It feeds on seeds of various kinds, and frequents 

 regular drinking places in the mornings and evenings. Its 

 nest is a mere depression scratched in the soil, and its 3 eggs are 

 usually deposited in June, and are elongated oval in shape, light 

 stone- buff marbled with indistinct purplish grey shell-markings, 

 and light brown surface blotches, and measure about 1'85 by 

 1-30 to 2-00 by 1'35. 



905. CORONETED SAND-GROUSE. 

 PTEROCLES CORONATUS. 



Pterocles coronatus, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 65 (1823) ; Gould, B. of A. 

 vi. pi. 63 ; Dresser, ix. p. 313, pi. 700 ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. xxii. p. 23 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 57. 



Quata, Arab. 



ad. (India). Middle of forehead and a small space over the eye 

 creamy white ; crown cinnamon, surrounded by a blue-grey band ; a 

 black patch on each side of the forehead, chin, and middle of the throat ; 

 upper parts sandy isabelline, the scapulars and wing-coverts marked with 

 brown, and with a terminal spot of creamy buff ; tail sandy isabelline, all 

 but the middle feathers tipped with white, and with a subterminal black 

 bar ; primaries blackish brown ; throat, cheeks, ear-coverts, and upper neck 

 yellow ; rest of under parts sandy isabelline, the lower throat and fore 

 breast washed with grey ; under tail-coverts white ; beak and feet 

 plumbeous black ; iris brown. Culmen 07, wing 7'8, tail 4'0, tarsus I'l 

 inch. The female is paler than the male, lacks the black on the head and 

 throat, has the upper parts barred and slightly spotted, and the lower 

 throat and breast narrowly barred with blackish brown. 



Hob. Algeria, Tunis ; Egypt; Arabia; Syria; Persia; Afghani- 

 stan, Baluchistan, and S 



