l68 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



Painted Sand-Grouse. 



Pterocles fasciatus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, 

 Vol. IV, p. 55. 



Native names. — Pahari bhat titar, Hind, in 

 the North-West Provinces ; Palki in Bel- 

 gaum ; Handeri in Southern India ; Kal- 

 gowjalhaki, Canarese of Mysore ; Sonda- 

 polanka, Tamil. 



This and the next differ from our other Sand- 

 grouse in being less gregarious, frequenting less 

 open country, and being rather nocturnal, coming 

 to water before dawn and after dark. They would 

 really have more right to be put in a separate genus 

 than the Pin-tailed kinds. This small species is 

 very distinctly and beautifully marked in the case 

 of the male, which is broadly barred above with 

 chocolate, slate and buff ; the head is peculiarly 

 marked, the forehead being white, followed by a 

 large black patch, then by white again, while the 

 rest is buff, streaked with black. The neck and 

 breast are plain buff, bordered by a chocolate band ; 

 this is followed by a broad cream-coloured belt, 

 bordered below by black ; the belly is barred black 

 and buff. 



The hen is buff, finely barred with black both 

 above and below, the barring extending even to 

 the leg-feathering. The bill is reddish, the eyelids 

 yellow and the feet dull yellow. Eyes dark as in 

 all sand-grouse. 



The painted sand-grouse is only found in India, 

 and generally frequents rocky ground and low 

 jungle, but in many districts it does not occur — it is 

 not found west of the Indies nor in the Ganges delta. 



