SAND GROUSE. 229 



Without of course falling in with the native statement 

 above made, it is quite clear from Mr. Taylor's note, 

 as quoted in the last notice, that difference of food has 

 much to do (as well as the skilful Dragoman) in 

 making the flesh of these birds eatable. 



The adult male has the top and sides of the head 

 and nape russet grey. The back and upper tail coverts 

 have a mottled appearance, representing a series of 

 spots of a sandy ochreous colour surrounded by a ring 

 of black. If a separate feather is examined, it Avill be 

 found that the extremity is ochreous, and the base paler, 

 the two colours being separated by a dusky band. 

 The wing coverts are the same, but are terminated 

 with rich ochreous, which gives a broad band of that 

 colour across the wing. The long strong pointed wing, 

 which when closed, extends beyond the tail, has the 

 primaries dark grey with glossy black shafts, the third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth slightly bordered at their distal 

 ends with light russet. Secondaries unicolorous smoky 

 grey, lightly bordered with white. 



The throat and sides of the neck are occupied by 

 a broad dark ochreous-coloured collar, faintly shewn 

 at the nape, and bordered in front below with a 

 broad black band; the neck and crop have a slight 

 lavender tint, gradually going off into the mottled russet 

 of the back; this is separated from the pink coloured 

 feathers of the upper part of the abdomen by a narrow 

 well-defined black band, edged with white, which goes 

 right across the thorax; the middle and lower part of 

 the abdomen and flanks are brown black with a tinge 

 of sepia. Under tail coverts white; tail feathers, below 

 and above, russet, bordered with black and tipped 

 with white, except the two middle ones. Tarsi covered 

 with smaller pink feathers in front, and with a kind 



