1878.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLID.E. 239 



obtained at Malta, and also in Greece, where, according to Von der 

 Miihle, a specimen has been procured in Eubcea. 



Genus Pterocles. 



Body rather long and heavy ; bill rather stout ; culmen curved ; 

 groups ascending ; sides of mandibles compressed. Nostrils basal, 

 open, oblong, partly covered by a membrane ; frontal feathers pro- 

 jecting over, but not intruding upon, the nasal aperture. Wings long, 

 pointed ; first primary longest. Tail cuneate ; median rectrices 

 sometimes lengthened beyond the rest. Tarsi short, covered an- 

 teriorly with downy feathers ; feet small, bare, the hallux extremely 

 short, almost obsolete, not reaching the ground. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Without pectoral band. 



a. Front and chin black 1. Pt. personatus. 



b. Loral space black ; throat yellowish, bordered 



on its lower edge with a band of black ; breast 



greenish-grey ; abdomen chestn ut 2. Pt. gutturalis. 



c. Stripe on each side of forehead, from nostril to 



above the eye, chin, and centre of throat black 3. Pt. coronatus. 



d. Lores and band encircling back of head pearly- 



grey; cheeks, ear-coverts, and throat orange 



yellow; centre of abdomen black 4. Pt. sencgalus. 



e. Top of head yellowish-brown, streaked with 



black ; throat pearly-grey ; underparts rufous, 



spotted with white 5. Pt. variegatus. 



B. With pectoral band. 



a. Without black bar on forehead. 



a'. Median rectrices not lengthened much be- 

 yond the rest. 

 Upper part of throat and sides of neck 

 rufous ; lower portion of throat black ; 

 band on lower part of breast ; abdomen 



and flank black f>. Pt. arenarins. 



b'. Median rectrices greatly lengthened be- 

 yond the rest. 

 a". Throat yellow ; black band across 

 breast ; abdomen and flanks chest- 

 nut 7. Pi. exuslus. 



b". Throat and stripe behind the eye 

 black; sides of throat rufous; centre 

 of breast chestnut, bordered, above 

 and below with black ; rest of under- 

 parts white 8. Pt. alchata. 



o". Throat orange-yellow ; breast crossed 

 by a white and a chestnut band ; 

 abdomen rufous brown 9. PL namaqua. 



b. With black bar across forehead. 



«'. Breast uniform greenish buff. 



a". Lower part of breast bordered with a 

 chestnut band, succeeded by a white 

 one ; rest of underparts yellowish- 

 white, barred narrowly with black ; 

 wing-coverts with two black bands, 

 margined on the upper side only 

 with white 10. Pt. faaciatus. 



