208 



PTEROCLin^. 



on bheir inner webs towards the tips with still paler isabelline. The 

 first primary has the outer web browner, the others have the outer 

 webs, especially toward the bases, a brighter isabelline. The whole 

 visible portions of the lesser coverts and of the primary greater coverts 

 are yellowish fawn, or isabelline, varying much in shade in different 

 specimens ; these greater coverts are dark shafted, and with a brownish 

 tinge next the shafts on the inner webs ; the scapulars bluish grey at 

 the bases, tipped broadly, but chiefly on the outer webs, with buffy 

 yellow, and the lesser ones tinged immediately above the yellow with a 

 somewhat brownish purple, or dull greyish vinaceous. The secondary, 

 median, and greater coverts like the lesser scapulars, but showing 

 more of the vinaceous hue. The secondaries are brown, lighter towards 

 their bases. The lower part of the neck in front and upper breast 

 are nearly the same blue grey or greyish fawn as the back of the 

 neck ; the lower breast, abdomen, sides, flanks, axillaries, and wing 

 lining isabelline or desert colour ; the upper abdomen often with a faint 

 orange bufiFy tinge. A broad irregular deep brown patch runs down 

 the centre of the abdomen to the vent; the lower tail-coverts are 

 greyish brown at their bases, but are broadly tipped with white (often 

 tinged buffy or isabelline) which is the only colour visible until the 

 feathers are lifted. The lower surfaces of the quill shafts are white. 



" The female has the yellow chin and throat patch like the male, but 

 paler ; the lores and feathers immediately encircling the eye pale 

 isabelline white ; the whole upper parts and the neck all round pure 

 isabelline, tinged slightly rufous on the occiput, nape, and back, and 

 conspicuously spotted with dull, somewhat greyish, bliick ; the spots on 

 the forehead and front part of the head are small and irregular ; on the 

 nape and occiput they are more or less arranged in rows (so as to pro- 

 duce more of a striated appearance) and in a band running from behind 

 the eye round the nape, they are very much more densely set ; on the 

 upper tail-coverts they are larger ; while on the scapulars they take the 

 form of double spots or irregular bars. The primaries and their greater 

 coverts are much as in the male, but paler ; the central tail feathers are 

 isabelline, dark shafted, the points greyish black, and the rest of the 

 feather with narrow, transverse, irregular bars of the same colour on 

 both webs ; the lateral tail feathers are much as in the male, but have 

 the basal portions more tinged with isabelline, and more or less imper- 

 fectly barred. The breast, abdomen, and wing lining are as in the 

 male, but somewhat purer and paler ; the abdominal patch is narrower 

 and. perhaps also somewhat paler. 



" Irides brown, bare ; orbital skin yellowish ; bill pale plumbeous, 

 bluish grey, or bluish white, always somewhat more dusky towards the 

 tip ; feet pale plumbeous or bluish white, paler tpwards the tips of the 

 toes ; weight 8 to 12 ounces, but averaging about 10 ounces. 



"Male, length.— 13- 4, to 147 inches, expanse 23 to 23-7, tail from 

 vent 5-3 to 6, wing 7-5 to 7'9, the wings when closed reach to within 

 from 2-3 to 2-8 of the end of the longest tail feathers, viz., the central 

 ones which exceed the others by from 1'75 to 2, bill at front O'U to 

 0-47, tarsus 1 to 1-05. 



