502 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Cotumix communis is the ' Quail' of the Israelites. Col. Chesney, 

 indeed, writes of it as a kind of Quail about the size of a Pigeon, 

 which at times literally darkens the air with its numbers. 



802. Pterocles exustus, Temminck. 



PI. Col. 354, 360— Gould, Birds of Asia, pt. II. pi. 13— 

 Blyth, Cat. 1492— Jerdon, Cat. 270— Sykes, Cat. 161— 

 Bar-titar, Ba/iht-titar, Kumar-tit, II. — Kuhar, H. in the N. W. 

 P. — Jam polanka, Tel. — Kal koudari, Tarn. — Eock-pigeon of 

 sportsmen in India. 



The Common Sand-grouse. 

 Descr. — Male, general colour fulvous isabelline, brighter and 

 more yellow about the lores, face, and chin, and mixed with dusky 

 greenish on the back, wings, and upper tail-coverts ; primaries 

 black, the tips of all, except the first three, white, broader on the 

 inner web ; a longitudinal median line on the wing, formed by 

 some of the coverts and secondaries being brighter buff; tail 

 with the central pair of feathers elongated and highly attenuated, 

 isabelline yellow; the lateral feathers deep brown, edged and 

 tipped with pale fulvous ; a narrow black band in the breast ; 

 abdomen deep chocolate brown (burnt or singed colour, hence 

 exustus), paling on the vent, and the under tail-coverts creamy 

 white, as are the tarsal plumes. 



Bill leaden ; orbits lemon yellow ; iridcs dark brown ; feet 

 plumbeous. Length 13 inches ; wing 1\ ; tail h\ to 6 ; tarsus \\. 

 Weight 8 to 9 oz. 



The female has the whole upper plumage, including the tail- 

 feathers (except a plain bar on the wing formed by the greater 

 coverts) fulvous, closely barred with deep brown ; also the space 

 between the pectoral band and the abdomen ; neck and breast un- 

 spotted dingy isabelline, and abdomen as in the male. The central 

 rectrices are not elongated. 



This is the most common and abundant species of Sand-grouse 

 throughout India, being found in every part of the country, except 

 the more wooded portions, and never occurring in forest districts. 

 It is, therefore, quite unknown in Malabar, in the wooded districts 

 of Central India, and in LoAver Bengal ; and neither this, nor any 



