Vol. xii.] 48 



uncommon example of one-sided erythrism. The skin had 

 been brought to Makassar by Mr. van DuivenboaVs traders 

 and was said to have been obtained in Northern Halmahera. 



Mr. Ernst Hartert exhibited and described a new form 

 of Sand- Grouse : — 



Pterocles coronatus atratus, subsp. nov. 



Pterocles coronatus had originally been described from 

 Nubia. Male birds from N.E. Africa^ as well as from Tunis 

 and Algiers, had the upper surface reddish isabelline-buff, 

 the scapulars and wing-coverts buffy vinaceous, with a pale 

 buff patch at the extremity. The form P. c. atratus had 

 the upperside greyish isabelline with blackish speckles, the 

 scapulars and upper wing-coverts with large centres of a 

 blackish slate-colour, and still paler, more whitish-buff spots 

 near the tips. Thus the entire upper surface had a slaty 

 and pale buff appearance, while that of typical North- African 

 P. coronatus was reddish buff. 



The females differed still more conspicuously, that of 

 P. coronatus being pale vinous buff or pale isabelline, more 

 or less narrowly barred with black, while the bars on the 

 buff under surface were narrow ; on the other hand, the 

 female of P. c. atratus had the upper surface black with pale 

 creamy-buff bars, and the under surface more whitish and 

 much more heavily barred. 



The types of Pterocles coronatus atratus were from Eastern 

 Persia, collected by Mr. Zarudny. 



Measurements : — <$ , wing 197, tail 86 mm. ; ? , wing 190, 

 tail 84 mm. 



Obs. — These observations are based on the material 

 in the Tring Museum. The series in the British Museum 

 thoroughly confirms them, the African skins being very 

 different from the Asiatic ones. A male from the Mhow 

 district, in Central India, is, however, less blackish than 

 typical P. c. atratus, and one from Jacobabad is paler, in- 

 clining more to the African form, though still less vinaceous 

 and more of a greyish-sandy tint. 



