2t>2 MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLIDjE. [Feb. 19, 



the place strewed with small green beans. Upon these catching 

 the eyes of the birds, the flocks descend into the snare and are 

 trapped. Great numbers could be taken in this way. Although 

 shy when on the ground, yet on the wing they would dart within 

 a few yards of a person. Their cry was a kind of melodious chuckle. 

 According to native testimony, they are numerous on the great plains 

 of Tartary beyond the Great Wall, where they breed in the sand. 

 In Mongolia, according to Prjevalsky, as given in Rowley's ' Orni- 

 thological Miscellany,' this is one of the most characteristic birds, 

 and is found both in the steppes and deserts. In summer they 

 go beyond Lake Baikal in the north to breed, but spend the winter 

 in the Gobi desert and in Ala-shan. They go in enormous flocks, 

 and feed chiefly upon the seeds of Agriophyllum gobicum. They fly 

 rapidly, with a peculiar noise of the wings ; and at a distance the 

 sound a flock makes is like the sighing of the wind. When flying 

 they utter a note like " truck-turuck, truck-turuck ;" and small 

 flocks are accustomed to rise in the air and swoop down towards the 

 ground, as Rooks do when migrating. On the ground they run 

 clumsily, and their tracks much resemble those of small mammals. 

 Like the species of Pterocles, these birds visit some drinking-place 

 every morning and evening, but never settle without first describing 

 a circle to assure themselves that there is no danger. Prjevalsky also 

 met with this species in the Hoang-ho valley in South-east Mongolia, 

 and also about Kalgan. This species deposits its eggs in the sand ; 

 and the female does not sit very closely, but leaves her charge when 

 approached, and also every morning and evening exposes the eggs to 

 the weather, in order to visit the drinking-places. It is a very shy 

 bird, and takes wing generally before one can get near enough to 

 shoot. Falco hendersoni persecutes them, but cannot always catch 

 them. 



Male. Top of head, occiput, back of neck, a line behind the ear- 

 coverts, and breast grey ; on the forehead an ochraceous tinge ; chin 

 pale buff. Throat, ear-coverts, and a line on each side of the upper 

 part of the hind neck dark orange. Across the breast a band of dull 

 white, each feather margined narrowly with black. Back and wings 

 vinous, the former barred with black. Outer webs of the greater 

 coverts chestnut, forming a conspicuous bar along the wing when 

 closed. Spurious wing-feathers buff, with a central black line. Pri- 

 maries light ashy grey on outer webs, dark brown on inner ; the fifth 

 to ninth conspicuously margined on both webs with light huff. The 

 first primary considerably elongated and attenuated. Abdomen jet- 

 black. Vent and under tail-coverts pure white. Tail grey, like the 

 primaries, scalloped on the edges of the feathers with buff and tipped 

 with white. The median pair elongated, filamentous, their lengthened 

 portion brownish black. Tarsi and toes thickly covered with short 

 buffy-white feathers. Bill yellowish brown ; iris dark brown ; nails 

 black. 



Total length 14f inches, wing to end of first primary 10, tail to 

 end of median rectrices 7^, bill along gape ^. 



Young. Top of head buff, streaked with black. Throat huffy 



