PTEEOCLID^ PTEEOCLES 185 



Family I. PTEROOLTD^. 



Genus I. PTEROCLES. 



Type. 

 Pterocles, Temm., Man. Ornith. p. 299 (1815) P. arenarius. 



Bill slender and arched, no cere; nostrils elongated, bordered 

 above by feathers ; wings pointed and long ; tarsi covered with 

 small feathers in front, reticulate behind ; toes naked, hallux small, 

 almost rudimentary, jointed above the level of the other toes ; tail 

 of fourteen or sixteen feathers, rounded, central feathers not pro- 

 duced beyond the others to any extent. 



This genus, containing some ten species, is spread all over Africa 

 including Madagascar, southern Europe and central and southern 

 Asia,- from Spain to India. Three species occur within our limits. 



Fio. 59. — Left foot of Pterocles bicinctus. x -J- 



Key of the Species. 



A. With little round white spots above and 



below. 



a. Chin slaty- grey P.variegatus, 5", p. 186. 



b. Chin pale buff P.variegatus, J , p. 186. 



B. Not spotted with white above or below. 



a. Under tail-coverts uniform deep chestnut. 



a'. Throat yellow, bordered by a black line... P. gutturalis, $ , p. 187. 

 6'. Throat yeUow without a black band ... P. gutturalis, ?,p. 187. 

 h. Under taU-coverts closely barred with black, 

 a'. Chest uniform olive, followed by a bar of 



white and another of black P. bicinctus, $ , p. 189. 



6'. Throat spotted, rest of lower surface 



barred with black P. bicinctus, ? , p. 189. 



