Contributions to the Ornithology of India, ^c. 219 



799.— Pterocles arenarius, Pallas. 



The larg-e sand grouse was met with occasionally in Upper 

 Sindhj (I did not myself see it lower than Sehwan, though I 

 heard of its occurrence^) but never in any thing like the numbers 

 in which it occurs throughout the North- West Punjab and 

 parts of Rajpootana. In fact as far as I could see and learn^ 

 the only rock grouse which occurred in very great numbers were 

 P. alchata and F. senegallus. 



800 62^5.— Pterocles Lichtensteinii, Tem. FL 



Col. 355, 361. 



The occurrence of this North African and Arabian species 

 within our limits is a matter of no little interest. I never saw 

 however but one single pair which, until we had shot them, I 

 did not recognize as distinct from fasciatus. This was at Gool 

 Mahomed, Mehur, Upper Sindh, where we were shooting along 

 with a native gentleman ; he recognized the birds immediately 

 as a species of which only a few stragglers were yearly seen in 

 mid winter. I have nothing to add to the little on record in 

 regard to the habits of this species. We only saw the pair 

 squatting on the bare ground adjoining a thinly cultivated field, 

 and Mr. Watson of the Sindh Commission who was with me, 

 shot them both almost immediately they rose. 



The following are dimensions taken in the flesh : 



Male, length, 107; expanse, 21; tail from vent, 3-2; 

 wing, 6-65 ; wings, when closed, reach to within 07 of end of 

 tail; bill at front, 0*54 ; bill from gape, 0-65; tarsus, 1-05. 

 Weight, 8 ozs. 



Female, length, 10-37; expanse, 20; tail from vent, 3; 

 wing, Q-<o; wings, when closed, reach to within 07 of end of 

 tail; bill at front, 0-55; from gape, 0-62; weight, 8 ozs. 



Legs, wholly feathered in front ; feet, orange yellow ; reticula- 

 tion, white ; claws, dusky, tipped yellowish ; bill, fleshy brown, 

 darker in the female ; irides, brown ; orbital skin,yellow. 



Plumage, male. — Forehead, white ; a broad semi-circular black 

 band from the lores on either side encircling the white frontal 

 patch. A similar white band immediately in rear of this, imper- 

 fect on the crown ; the whole of the rest of the top and back of 

 the head, pale creamy, the feathers centered black, producing 

 an irregularly striated appearance. Chin, and part of the 

 upper portion of the centre of the throat, dull yellowish white, 

 unspotted ; aides of the upper part of the throat and uppeif 

 part of the neck, yellovnsh white, each feather with a tiny black 

 spot at the tip ; the ear coverts, fulvous white, slightly streaked 

 duskyj and more m less irregularly tipped with dull black. 



