222 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HLST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



deep breast band is either obsolete or indefinite and much mixed 

 with buff. From the breast downwards the lower surface of the 

 body is banded black and white as in the adult bird, but the bars 

 are narrower and not so perfect. The white forehead seems to be 

 one of the last parts of the adult plumage to be acquired. 



At a still earlier age, the whole of the back is vermiculated buff 

 and black and the general colour varies through as wide a range ot 

 tints as in the adult. On the under parts the breast and abdomen 

 are still more weakly barred than in the stage just described and the 

 bars on the centre of the abdomen and about the vent often merge 

 into a blurred patch of black or dark brown. 



" Young females resemble J^oung males, but the under parts are 

 like those of the adult female. " (Ogilvie Grant.) 



The nestling is said to be covered with a uniform earth-brown 

 down, the same colour as the soil on which the eggs are laid. 



Distribution. — The habitat of this beautiful Sand-Grouse is given 

 as follows by Blanford : " Peculiar to India and resident. Found in 

 suitable places throughout the greater part of the Peninsular, but not 

 on the Malabar or Bombay Coast, nor in the Forest Kegion North 

 of the Godaveri and East of Eaipor, Mandla, etc., nor in the low 

 grounds of the Carnatic. This Sand-Grouse is fouund throughout 

 the Deccan and the Central Provinces and as far South as Mysore, 

 and is common in parts of Guzerat, Cutch, Rajputana, the N. W. 

 Provinces and amongst the Siwalik Hills of the N. W. Punjab, but 

 does not occur West of the Indus, nor on the Gangetic alluvium." 



Its range has now to be carried considerabl}^ further East and 

 also North-west across the Indus. In the Santhal Parganas I shot 

 two birds out of a small flock, which for some days frequented some 

 ravines close to the Birbhum Road between Nya Doomka and Suri. 

 I have records of its appearance both in Panchi and Hazaribagh 

 and in Gya, further East than recorded by Hume, in the plains at 

 the foot of the Ranga Hills. All these places are very dry and 

 stony and are situated in amongst, or near hills, which are broken 

 up with ravines and dry water-courses, but at the same time have a 

 growth of jungle, scrub for the most part, but in others stunted tree 

 and short coarse grass. None of the districts mentioned come with- 

 in the area described by Hume as the " low, rich, unbroken alluvial 

 plains in the whole of the Lower Bengal and Assam." 



As regards the N.-W. Major F. J. K. Barton records in the 

 Journal that P. fasciatus has been shot every year, almost since 

 1895, at Rustom, some 20 miles from Mardan in the Buner foot 

 hills. He says : " Painted Sand-Grouse are found near Rustom in 

 loAV stony hills with a fair quantity of jungle growing on them. 

 They are generally put up in pairs or small flocks. The natives say 

 they are always there, but that the numbers vary, some years there 

 being more than others." 



