1S72.] F. Stoliczka — Mammals and Birds inhabiting Kachk. 249 



797. Tttetub httmllis. Common. 



799. Pteeocles aeenaeitts. 



This is by no means a common bird in Kachh. I only met with it in 

 the south-eastern parts of the province on large grassy plains or fields. 



800. Pteeocles fasciatus. Very common. 



The crepuscular habit of this bird must be explained by its coming 

 to drink at, or little after, dusk. Hundreds of them used to arrive, under 

 a loud chuckling call, to the wells or tanks where I was usually encamped. 

 After they had satisfied their thirst they generally walked away quietly and 

 remained for the night in the neighbouring fields, although they were often 

 constantly alarmed by other animals who came to the wells during the night. 

 When flushed for the first time in the jungles during the day, they generally 

 take only a short flight and drop down again, but when flushed a second time 

 they betake themselves a much greater distance. On the 22nd December, I 

 came across a couple of old birds with 3 young ones, only about one or two 

 days hatched. This must have been exceptional, as the usual breeding 

 season of these birds is much earlier, during the rams. 



802. Pteeocles extisttts. Very common. 

 Comp. Journ. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. ii, p. 189. 



In many females the central rectrices are quite as much elongated as 

 in the males, at least during the winter. A young male shot in November 

 is coloured above like the female, but the chin is whitish, the pectoral band 

 altogether absent, and the sides of the abdomen are nearly as rufous brown, 

 as in the adult male. 



803. Pavo ceistattjs. Very common. 



The sacred bird of the Thakurs of the country. 



818. Feancolintts vtjlgaeis. 



$ . Wing 6 - 3, tail nearly 4, tarsus 1*75 inch. ; $ a trifle smaller. Out 

 of eight specimens none has the wing under 6 inch. The birds are larger than 

 usual, and though generally distributed, they are not common, and solitary. 

 I shot two or three in the Wagur district, but have not seen nor heard 

 through the whole of Kachh of a different kind of black partridge, as 

 'indicated by Capt. McMurdo and Mr. Hume, (comp. Journ. A. S. B. 

 vol. xxx-vhi, pt. ii, p. 190 and vol. xxxix, pt. ii, p. 121) ; and I can only 

 conclude that Capt. McMurdo was misled by the size of the bird, so as to 

 regard it as a different species. To what species Mr. Hume's bird belonged, 

 it is really difficult to say. 



They generally roost on low trees. 



822. Oettgoekis Ponticeeiantjs. Very common. 



S . Wing 5-5 to 575, tail 33 to 3"6, tarsus 1-4 to 1-5.* 



The wing in two females in 525 and 55 inch, they have the throat 

 distinctly tinged with ferruginous, while in the males it is almost quite 

 * Jerdon says ' not quite 2'" ! 



