214 TETRAONID^. 



Hah. — Throughout the Himalayas to Afghanistan. Common also in 

 Beloochistan, Sind, Punjab Salt Range, Persia and along the Arabian 

 Coast. Breeds from May to July in Chaman (S. Afghanistan) making 

 a nest composed of a little grass under the shelter of grass tufts or 

 bushes. The normal number of eggs is 12, but as many as 14 and 16 

 have been taken from a single nest, all varying in size and shape, from 

 peg-tops to elongated ovals. The colour is also variable, but typically 

 is a pale cafe au lait ground colourj with brick red specklings. 



Gen. Ammoperdix-— Gra^/. 



Bill reddish; wings long; tarsi not spurred. 



Ammoperdix bonhami, Gray, Des. Murs. I. 0. t. 29'; Gould. 

 B. As. pt. ii. pi. 4; Jerdon, B. Ind. iii. p. 567 ; Sir. F. i. 226; Murray, 

 Udhk., ZooL, 8fc., Bind, p. 208. — The Seesee Paeteidge. 



Male. — Head . and cheeks dull grey ; foi'ehead, a streak through 

 the eye and a border to the ear-coverts black; lores and ear-coverts silky 

 white, rufous behind; throat greyish white; breast vinaceous or vinous 

 fawn; sides of the neck spotted with white; upper parts isabelline or pale 

 brownish, freckled with dasky; rump and upper tail-coverts like the 

 back, with darker markings ; primaries isabelline on their outer webs, 

 finely pencilled with dusky, and all, except the first, with broad whitish 

 bands or bars ; tail brownish, tinged with chestnut, the tips of the 

 feathers freckled with dark brown; legs and feet dingy yellow; irides 

 bright or orange yellow ; bill orange; cere orange red. 



Length. — 9 to 11 inches, wing 4*75 to 5'75; tail 2'6. Female 

 slightly smaller, has not the dull grey crown of the male, and in general 

 is more brownish throughout; the black markings on the head are 

 replaced by freckles of dusky or black and white^ and the entire upper 

 and lower surface of the body is mottled. 



Sah. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Beloochistan and Afghanis- 

 tan, also Persia. Numerous throughout Upper Sind, also in Beloo- 

 chistan, where in the early morning, especially on broken ground and 

 on the road in the Bolan, as many as two or three hundred may be met 

 with, feeding on the droppings of cattle, or, in its absence, on grass 

 seeds along the hill sides. Breeds in the Punjab, Beloochistan and 

 Afghanistan in April and May. 



Gen. Ortygornis- — Hekh. 

 Bill long, and much curved at the tip: legs red; tarsi spurred, 1 — 2> 

 Ortygornis ponticeriana, Om.; P. 0. 213; Gr. Ind. Zool. 

 pi. 56; Jerd, B. Ind. iii. p. 569; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind. 

 p. 203. — The Common Geey Paeteidge. 



Forehead, over the eyes, lores, nape and face rufous, the face with 

 dusky freckles; top of the head olive brown; ear-coverts rufescent 

 brown ; back, scapulars and wing-coverts dark chestnut, each feather with 

 two or three transverse bufFy bars, bordered with black on both sides; 

 fenthers of the rump and upper tail-coverts similar, but olive brown 

 instead of chestnut; tail feathers rich chestnut or deep ferruginous 



