18/8.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLID.E. 253 



Pteroclurus namaqua, Reich. Syu. Av. Gallinas ( 1 85 1 ) pi. ccix. ; 

 Anderss. Dam.-l. (1872) p. 242. 



Hab. Palestine {Tristram) ; Transvaal, between Potchefstroom 

 and Marico (Ayres) ; Damara-land (Andersson). 



Mr. Ayres first met with this species in the Transvaal between 

 Potchefstroom and Marico, and afterwards along the river Limpopo, 

 but nowhere very abundant. They squat on the approach of danger, 

 and rise suddenly, with a quick beat of the wings ; and their flight 

 is very rapid. The iris is dusky, and eyelids yellow. 



According to Layard, the Namaqua Grouse is very abundant on 

 the Karroo plains throughout the Cape colony and in Namaqua- 

 land. It congregates in small parties, runs with considerable 

 swiftness, and the flight is very rapid. Its note, when on the wing, 

 resembles the piping of a Plover, to which bird this species bears a 

 considerable resemblance. It sometimes, during droughts, extends 

 its migrations to the Cape Flats. It lays from seven to ten eggs, 

 light cream-colour, spotted with brown and purple, axis 17'", 

 diameter 12'". Andersson states that this bird is common in some 

 parts of Damara-land, and generally comes to the water about eigbt 

 or nine o'clock in the morning. They circle around at a consi- 

 derable height, and frequently do not attempt to descend until 

 directly over the spot, when they shoot down with great velocity, 

 describing more or less of semicircles before they alight. They feed 

 on seeds, berries, and small bulbs, and swallow gravel to assist the 

 digestion. 



Male. Top of head dark brown. Throat orange. Upper part of 

 breast vinous, crossed on the lower part by a band of white, followed 

 by another of reddsh chestnut. Flanks dark vinous grey. Middle 

 of abdomen chestnut ; vent and under tail-coverts yellowish white. 

 Upper parts dark brown, lighter on the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, and washed with green. Scapulars dark brown, with a 

 subterminal light buff bar and purplish-grey tips. Wing-coverts 

 ashy brown, subterminal buffy white bar, and chestnut tips. Secon- 

 daries dark vinous brown, inclining to light buff near their tips. 

 Primaries rufous brown ; shafts rufous, except those of first and 

 second, which are white, and the sixth to tenth broadly margined 

 with white on their inner webs towards their tips. Median rectrices 

 extending slightly beyond the rest, rufous brown, graduating into 

 dark brown on their attenuated portion ; rest of tail rufous brown, 

 and tipped with yellowish white. Bill horn-colour. Feathers on 

 tarsus buffy white. 



Total length lOf inches, wing 7, tail \\, bill along gape \. 

 Young male. Differs in having the entire underparts very deep 

 vinous buff, inclining to rufous on the abdomen, and ochraceous on 

 the vent and under tail-coverts. Feathers of the back and wings 

 barred with rufous and black irregularly, and tipped with greyish 

 purple on the scapulars and some of the inner secondaries. Tail 

 buff, barred narrowly with dark brown. Head, throat, and back of 

 neck as in the adult males. 



Female. Top of head, back, and sides of neck and breast deep 



