12 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



with deep brown ; a narrow white band on the forehead, then a 

 broadish black band, succeeded by another narrow white one, and 

 then a narrow black band, widening behind the eye, and ending 

 in a white spot ; the occiput and nape with black streaks ; quills 

 brown-black, with narrow pale edgings ; the median and greater 

 coverts of the wings and some of the secondaries broadly banded 

 with inky black, edged with white ; a triple band separates the 

 fulvous of the breast from the abdomen, the first maronne, the 

 second creamy white, and the third unspotted chocolate brown, 

 which is the ground colour of the abdominal region, vent, and 

 under tail-coverts, each feather being tipped with white. 



Bill red; orbitar skin lemon yellow; irides dark brown; feet 

 dull yellow; claws reddish. Length 10 inches; extent 21; wing 

 7 ; tail 3£ ; tarsus 1^ ; weight 7 to 8 oz. 



The female differs in wanting the black and white bands on 

 the head, the pectoral bands, and the inky-black and white bars on 

 the wings, the whole upper surface, the sides of the neck, breast, 

 wings, and tail, being fulvous mixed with rufous, and finely barred 

 with black ; the chin, throat, ear-coverts, and some of the greater 

 wing-coverts are unspotted fulvous ; the lower part of the breast, 

 and the whole abdominal region very finely barred with chocolate 

 black and creamy white. 



This very beautiful Sand-grouse has been generally confounded 

 w r ith an African bird, P. guadrinctus of Temminck, from which 

 it differs in several particulars, the chief distinction being, accord- 

 ing to Strickland, in the African bird having the feathers of the 

 back, scapulars, tertiaries, and greater coverts, deep glossy black. 



It is found over the greater part of India, except in Malabar 

 and Lower Bengal, but it is by no means abundant any where, and 

 is apparently not found out of India. In some districts it is stated 

 to occur in the rains only. I have seen it in the Carnatic, the 

 Deccan, and Central India, and it is not unknown in the N. W* 

 Provinces, and Adams records it as pretty common in the low 

 jungles around the base of the Scwalik range, Punjab. It affects 

 chiefly bushy and rocky hills, and, unlike any others of its genus, 

 is often found in tolerably thick cover. It is found generally in 

 pairs, occasionally towards the end of the rains in parties of eight to 



