THE PAINTED SAND-GROUSE, 63 



Since then I have obtained and taken a large number of the 

 eggs of this species. As a body they are very regular, obtuse- 

 ended, cylindrical ellipsoids, the shell very smooth and glossy, the 

 ground colour a delicate pale salmon pink, with a good many, 

 somewhat widely scattered, specks and tiny streaks of brownish 

 red, very generally much more numerous towards one or other 

 end, and with a good many small pale inky purple spots and 

 clouds almost exclusively confined to that end where the mark- 

 ings are most numerous. 



Specimens are occasionally met with in which the markings 

 are very sparse, and I have one specimen in which they are 

 absolutely and entirely wanting. 



Not unfrequently the markings form a pretty perfect zone 

 towards one end, and here and there an egg is met with exhi- 

 biting six or eight large deep brownish-red blotches. Pale 

 pinky white, white, and somewhat buffy stone-colour grounds 

 are also met with. 



Dr. Jerdon remarks : " I have had the eggs brought me, very 

 cylindrical in form, of a dull earthy green with a few dusky 

 spots ; but these most assuredly were eggs of P. exustus and not 

 of our present species, fasciatus. 



In length the eggs vary from 1*3 to i"62, and in breadth 

 from 0'93 to ro5 ; but the average of forty eggs is 1*42 by 0*98. 



The sexes differ but little in size. From a very large series 

 of measurements recorded in the flesh I find that — 



Males. — Measure, Length, 10*5 to 11*25 ; expanse, 1975 to 

 22*5; wing, 6*4 to yo\ tail from vent, 3*25 to 375 ; tarsus, 

 o"88 to ro ; bill from gape, 0*58 to 07. Weight, 6 to 7-5 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 10 to 10*5 ; expanse, 19*5 to 20*5 ; wing, 

 6*38 to 6*65 ; tail, 3*25 to 3*5 ; tarsus, 0'8 to 0*9 ; bill from 

 gape, 0*55 to 0*6. Weight, 6*38 to 675 ozs. 



The colours of the soft parts vary somewhat. I have record- 

 ed the feet as dirty yellow, pale reddish olive, pale dingy 

 brown, pale orange brown ; the irides as brown, the skin round 

 the eyes yellowish green, and again bluish yellow ; the bill as 

 brown, reddish brown, reddish horny, dingy orange red, and 

 dark orange red. 



The Plate is excellent, but the bill should be darker, and 

 with a brown or reddish tinge. In some males the light mark- 

 ings of the back and rump are much more buffy and less rufous 

 than in the specimen figured, and similarly in some females the 

 upper surface is altogether lighter and less strongly marked. 



