PIN-TAILED SAND GROUSE. 225 



below from the pure white of the abdomen, flanks, 

 and under tail coverts; shewing- in a marked manner 

 the sharply-defined colours in contrast, which gives to 

 this bird a peculiarly beautiful appearance. The throat 

 is black, sometimes as in my specimen, which is in 

 autumn plumage, mottled with white. The tarsi are 

 thickly clothed with short white feathers, which, like 

 the colours of the other parts, are sharply contrasted 

 where they terminate with the horny brown of the 

 toes; beak horny brown; claws black. 



The female differs from the male considerably. The 

 head, nape, back, and upper tail coverts, are clearly 

 barred with black and fawn-colour, broader on the 

 back, and narrower but more thickly on the tail coverts. 

 The throat is white, the collar round the neck lighter 

 and more mottled with brown, while the band across 

 the crop between the two black lines is much broader, 

 and lighter in colour. The side of the head is mottled 

 like the back of the head and neck. The white tips 

 to the tail feathers are smaller, and the finely-extended 

 middle tail feathers rather shorter. In other respects 

 like the male. 



The young of the year resemble the female, but 

 are smaller. The crop shaded with greyish and russet, 

 with spots and brown zigzags. 



My figures of the male and female of this bird are 

 from specimens kindly sent me by Mr. Tristram. 



It has also been figured by Brisson, Ornithologia, 

 vol. i, pi. 19, male and female; Buffon, pi. enl., 505 

 male, and 506 female; Roux, Ornith. Prov., pi. 247, 

 adult male, pi. 248, fig. i, female adult, fig. ii, head of 

 female of the year; pi. 249, fig. i, young just after 

 leaving nest, and ii, male of year; Gould, pi. 258. 



VOL. III. 2 H 



