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ALCHATA PTEROCLES. 
grey-blue towards the tips of each feather, and 
another of yellow : the lesser and middle wing- 
coverts are striped obliquely with red-chesnut, 
tipped with a white crescent ; the greater coverts 
are greyish-olive, tipped with black crescents ; the 
belly, the sides, the abdomen, the thighs, and the 
tips of the under tail-coverts, are white ; as are 
also the extremities of the tail-feathers, and the 
edges of the outer ones : the rest of the tail is 
varied with yellow and black, and the two middle 
feathers are considerably elongated and pointed : 
the feathers on the*fore-part of the tarsi are white: 
the beak and the feet are grey, and the claws black. 
The female has the throat white, with a half collar 
beneath, of a black colour ; with a belt of orange, 
as in the male : the upper parts of the plumage 
resemble that of the male : the wing-coverts are 
grey-blue, with an oblique reddish band, and tipped 
with black lunules : the two middle tail-feathers 
are not quite so long as in the male. The young 
have their plumage less variegated : the upper 
parts of the body are olivaceous, shaded with ash- 
colour : the white on the sides, the thighs, and the 
abdomen, is varied with zigzag yellow and brown 
lines. 
This bird inhabits most of the warmer parts of 
Europe, as the South of France, Spain, Italy, Sicily, 
and the Levant ; it is very abundant in Persia, 
Arabia, and the northern parts of Africa : it de- 
lights in arid and sandy deserts, where it constructs 
its nest of moss, briars, and slender herbs : it feeds 
upon seeds and insects ; it is caught in great num- 
