PTEROCLIDiE. 501 



yellow, with a blackish space round the eyes ; breast pale fulvous, 

 with a double black band, each of them narrow ; abdomen, vent, 

 and lower tail-coverts white, the latter slightly black barred ; 

 tarsal plumes whitish. 



Bill very stout, horny brown ; hides brown ; feet plumbeous. 

 Length about 15^ inches; wing 8; tail 6^ ; tarsus 1^. 



The female differs in having the upper plumage barred with 

 black and fulvous, with some dusky ashy spots on the back and 

 scapulars; the lesser and median wing -coverts ashy, with oblique 

 rufous and black lunules ; the throat white ; a broad blackish 

 demi-collar on the neck, followed by an ashy band tinged with 

 rufous. The median tail-feathers are stated to be nearly as long 

 as in the male bird. 



This species of Sand-grouse is a well known inhabitant of 

 Northern Africa, Western Asia, and the South of Europe, especially 

 in Spain, Sicily, the Levant, &c. ; and it extends through Central 

 Asia into the Punjab and Sindh. It is, however, a rare bird com- 

 paratively in India, only a few finding their way across the Sutlej. 

 It is recorded to have been killed at Hansi. I presume that like 

 P. arenarius it is migratory to this country, and only found in the 

 cold season. It is a very beautiful bird, and the bill is much 

 thicker and stronger than that of any other of the genus. 



It has a peculiar call, something like kaa-kia, said to be not unlike 

 the call of the Jackdaw ; it flies in flocks of from ten to seventy 

 or more, and is said to be very shy and wary, and more difficult to 

 approach than the large Sand-grouse. Its specific appellation is 

 taken from its Arabic name El-chata or El-katta, which however 

 is also applied to P. arenarius. I have seen no notice of any 

 native name in this country for this species, and imagine that it is 

 called by the same names, as P. arenarius and P. exustus. From 

 this last it may be at once distinguished by its somewhat larger 

 size, stronger bill, and white belly. It breeds among rocks in 

 Central and Western Asia, Northern Africa and the South of 

 Europe, laying four or five eggs of a reddish grey colour, with 

 brownish spots. 



It is said to swarm in countless numbers in Palestine, and Mr. 

 Blyth believes, and with justice, that this bird rather than the 



