TSE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 11 



Galloperdtx spadicea caurina. 

 The Aravalli Spur-Fowl. 



Galloperdix spadicea var caurina, — Blanford, Avi. Brit. In. iv., p. 107 

 (1898). 



Francolinus spadiceus, — Gray, 111. Ind. Orn. ii., pi. 42, fig. 2 (1834) (part). 



Polyplectron northicp,—Gvaj, 111. Ind. Orn. ii., pi. 43, fig. 1 (1834) (part). 



Ithaginis northiai, — Gray, List of B., pt. iii., Gall. p. 32 (1844) (part). 



Galloperdix spadiceus,— Bljth., Cat. Mus. As. Soc, p. 241 (1849) (part); 

 Butler, Str. Feath iv., p. 5 (1876) (Aboo and N. Guzerat) ; Fairbank, ibid, 

 iv., pp. 251, 262 (1876) (Khandala, Mahableswar and Ghat Range); 

 Butler, ibid, v., p. 222 (1877) (Aboo); Hume and Marsh, Game-B. i., p. 

 247 (1878); Butler, Cat. B. of Sind, p. 54 (1879) (Aboo). 



Galloperdix .spf/rficm,—Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. B. M. xxii., p. 261 (part), 

 (1893) ; id, Man. Game-B. i., p. 206 (1895) (part) ; Blanford, Avi. Brit. In. 

 iv., p. 106 (1898) (part) ; Gates, Man. Game-B, In. i., p. 215 (1898) (part). 



Description — Adult Male. — Differs from the adult male of spadicea 

 in being everywhere much paler; on the upper parts the chestnut 

 centres of the feathers are paler, and the grey margins wider; 

 below the tint is much paler over the whole surface. 



Colours of Soft Parts.—" Legs and feet coral red; bill dusky 

 reddish; irides light brown" (G. King). 



Meastirements. — Wing, 153 to 173 mm., average 8 specimens, 

 159-7 mm.; tail, 116 to 13G mm., average 123 mm.; tarsus, 49 to 41 

 mm. ; bill from front about 21 mm. and from gape about 26 mm. 



" Weight 8^ to 10 ozs. " (G. King). 



Adult Female. — Very much paler both above and below than 

 the female of G. s. spadicea; the black bars and markings are 

 almost absent, being confined to narrow broken streaks on either 

 side of the shaft and to dull mottlings on the inner secondaries. 

 Below the chestnut is much paler, and the feathers are edged with 

 paler grey, whilst the black markings are greatly reduced in 

 amount. On the whole the differences between the females of this 

 race and Q. s. spadAcea is even more marked than it is in the males. 



Colours of Soft Parts. — " Legs and feet orange red to coral red; 

 bill dusky red, irides dull yellow." (G. King). 



Measurements. — Wing, 154-171 mm. (3 specimens); tail, 120 to 

 130 mm.; bill from front about 21 mm. and from gape about 2o 

 mm. ; tarsus, 49 to 51 mm. 



" Weight, 8 ozs. " (G. King). 



Bistrihution. — The Aravalli Hills and Udaipur only. The 

 birds from the Bombay Presidency South of these hills are at once 

 strikingly darker and more chestnut than the Mt. Abu birds, and 

 are nearer to the typical form, although somewhat paler and more 

 grey than specimens from the Nilghiris and hill ranges of South 

 India. These cannot, however, be given a name, as it is quite 

 impossible to define any area for any special degree of depth of 

 colouring. 



