SAND GROUSE. 137 



three large flocks of P. arenarius were seen near Hurdue in January, 

 1860, and many killed. He quite confirms the statements of Dr. Leith. 

 Adams and Canon Tristram, about the uiieatable character of the Sand 

 Grouse. "Both species," says Colonel Irby, "of the Indian Sand 

 Grouse which I have tasted are uneatable, and in this respect certainly 

 tend to confirm what the natives say Hhat they live upon sand.'" 



Without of course falling in with the native statement above made, 

 it is quite clear from Mr. Taylor's note, as quoted in the last notice, 

 that diflerence of food has much to do (as well as the skilful Drago- 

 man) in making the flesh of these birds eatable. 



The adult male has the top and sides of the head and nape russet 

 grey. The back and upper tail coverts have a mottled appearance, 

 representing a series of spots of a sandy ochreous colour surrounded 

 by a ring of black. If a separate feather is examined, it will be 

 found that the extremity is ochreous, and the base paler, the two 

 colours being separated by a dusky band. The wing coverts are the 

 same, but are terminated with rich ochreous, which gives a broad 

 band of that colour across the wing. The long strong pointed wing, 

 which when closed extends beyond the tail, has the primaries dark 

 grey with glossy black shafts, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 slightly bordered at their distal ends with light russet. Secondaries 

 unicolorous smoky grey, lightly bordered with white. 



The throat and sides of the neck are occupied by a broad dark 

 ochreous-coloured collar, faintly shewn at the nape, and bordered in 

 front below with a broad black band; the neck and crop have a 

 slight lavender tint, gradually going ofi" into the mottled russet of 

 the back; this is separated from the pink coloured feathers of the 

 upper part of the abdomen by a narrow well-defined black band, 

 edged with white, which goes right across the thorax; the middle and 

 lower part of the abdomen and flanks are brown black with a tinge 

 of sepia. Under tail coverts white; tail feathers, below and above, 

 russet, bordered with black and tipped with white, except the two 

 middle ones. Tarsi covered with smaller pink feathers in front, and 

 with a kind of shagreen skin behind, which is continuous with that 

 on the soles of the feet. The beak bluish horn-colour. Feet yellow. 



The female diflers from the male, in having the upper parts of a 

 light fawn-colour, thickly pencilled with black in transverse striae. 

 Lighter and fewer bands on the wing coverts, which terminate with 

 ochreous yellow, but much paler than in the male; throat and under 

 wing coverts yellowish white, the breast in colour and markings like 

 that of a hen Pheasant, aird the black line, which is broader than 

 in the male, is succeeded by a band of about half an inch wide of 



VOL. IV. T 



