430 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



The Asiatic birds, with the exception of three from Palestine, are 

 birds with the dominant tone on the upper plumage buff and with 

 the dark markings very profuse and therefore the general aspect of 

 the bird decidedly dark. 



The African birds, with the exception of one from the Nile, have 

 the back a most beautiful vinous isabelline tint, the markings very 

 sparse and the general aspect altogether paler than the Asiatic form. 

 A single specimen from the Nile and three specimens from 

 Palestine are intermediate between these two races having the 

 upper parts vinous as in Ft. c. coronatus but of a deeper tint and 

 also rather more marked with black. The bird from the Nile per- 

 haps more nearly approximates the African specimens whilst the 

 three from Palestine are nearer the other Asiatic sub-species. 



The African birds, as I have already said, are also decidedly larger 

 than the Asiatic, the birds from Palestine and the Nile being 

 intermediate in size as well as colouration. Thus all the African 

 birds examined have a wing averaging (^ 7*92 2 7-48. The 

 Nile and Palestine birds j 7-56 2 '^'^l ^.nd the Asiatic includ- 

 ing the Indian birds measured which not in the British Museum 

 Collection ^ 7-28 $ 7-05. 



Ogilvie-Grant has noted in reference to the differences above 

 referred to "in some African specimens, the whole of the upper 

 parts are washed with vinacious, and the black marks and bars on 

 the upper parts and chest are very much reduced, nearly absent on 

 the scapulars, while the throat, breast and belly are immaculate." 



Distribution. — Ooronetted Sand-Grouse are found throughout 

 North Eastern Africa from Algeria and Tunis in the North- West, 

 through the Sahara and parts of the Soudan, Egjrpt, Nubia the 

 Eastern Soudan and parts of Abyssinia, Arabia, Palestine, Persia, 

 Afghanistan, Baluchistan and so into India. 



Within Indian limits our sub-species atratus it is found in the 

 extreme North West from Fort Jamrud at the mouth of the Khj^ber 

 Pass in the North-West Provinces all along the country between 

 the Indus and Afghanistan and Baluchistan in that Province and in 

 Sind. Outside this comparatively narrow slip it has hardly ever been 

 obtained although there are three specimens in the British Museum 

 Collection obtained by Colonel Swinhoe in the Mhow district, which 

 is in Dhar, to the south of West Central India. 



As far as can be ascertained from the scanty records now in 

 existence, we find that the Coronetted Sand-Grouse enters Indian 

 limits during the latter part of October and remains until about 

 the end of March ; as, however, it undoubtedly breeds in both 

 Baluchistan and Afghanistan it may be found to occur in India in 

 auitable places in almost any month of the year, even if it is never 

 sctually proved to breed in this country. 



There is very little on record about this beautiful little Sand- 



