18/8.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLID.E. 259 



ost-Afr. (1855) p. 304 ; id. Ibis (1859) p. 343; Speke, Ibis (1860) 

 p. 247; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. (1870) p. 419; Hume, Ibis 

 (1872) p. 468 ; Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 563 ; Hume, Str. 

 Feath. (1873) p. 219; Von Heugl. Ornith. Nordost-Afr. (1873) 

 Band ii. p. 865; Wise, Str. Feath. (1876) vol. iv. p. 230. 



Pterocles bicinctus, Licht. (nee Temm.) Verz. Doubl. (1823) 

 p. 65. 



Hab. Very common in the Dauakil and Somali countries {Heuglin, 

 Speke); Abyssinia ( Blanford) ; Egypt and Nubia {Biippell); Gool 

 Mahomed Mehur, Upper Sindh {Hume) ; Kurrachee district {Wise). 



Blanford {I. c.) states that the habits of this bird in Abyssinia 

 are the same as those of the Pt. fasciatus of India. It is but rarely 

 met with in the open plains, but keeps to bush- or tree-jungle, and 

 in such places is usually found in pairs. The drinking-hours are at 

 daybreak and at dusk ; and the scene at a spring in the evening, he 

 says, is very interesting, the birds coming in with a constant rush until 

 dark. Single birds and small flocks, uttering a note like " queep- 

 queep," would fly up and down the watercourse, keeping but a 

 few feet above the bushes, the noise of their wings announcing their 

 presence in the dusk before the birds themselves could be seen. Mr. 

 Blanford says they are excellent eating, the flesh, though rather 

 hard, being of a delicious flavour. The species appears to be con- 

 fined to the coast region. In the Lebka valley, at Mohabar, only 

 2000 feet above the sea, but few were seen at the spring in the even- 

 ing ; and at higher elevations none were met with. 



Mr. Hume relates, in « Stray Feathers' (1873), that he met with 

 this species at Gool Mahomed Mehur, Upper Sindh. Only one pair 

 were seen and procured. 



Male. Forehead white, crossed by a circular jet-black line, com- 

 mencing at the opening of the mouth ; over each eye a black spot. 

 Throat pale buff. Centre of breast fulvous, with a narrow black bar 

 crossing it in the middle, and another bordering it on the lower side. 

 Rest of plumage of body buff or buffy white, barred narrowly with 

 black. Wings barred with black and white and tipped with buff. 

 Scapulars in some specimens dark buff or rufous, barred with black, 

 in others like the rest of the wing-feathers just described. Pri- 

 maries dark brown, edged with yellowish white. Tail pale buff, 

 barred with black and tipped with yellowish buff, as are also the 

 upper and under coverts. Iris brown ; orbit lemon-yellow. Bill 

 red ; feet flesh-colour. 



Total length 10 inches, wing 7^, tail 3^, bill along gape f. 



Female. Throat pale buff, spotted minutely with blackish brown. 

 Breast, wings, and back light buff, inclining to rufous on the secon- 

 daries, with all the feathers crossed by numerous narrow black lines. 

 Primaries chocolate-brown. Abdomen, flanks, and vent dull white, 

 barred narrowly with black. Tail with its coverts buff, barred with 

 black. Bill light horn-colour ; feet yellow. 



Total length 10 inches, wing 7^, tail 3\, bill along gape f . 



17* 



