PALLAS'S SAND -GROUSE. 491 



and bars edged buff and mostly concealed by long white tips and 

 edges ; axillaries sand-buff tipped black ; under wing-coverts 

 sand-buff, those along outer edge of wing with black shaft-streaks ; 

 tail-feathers : tips white, shafts black, along shaft and most of outer 

 web ash-grey, inner webs sand-buff with black comb-like bars, 

 outer webs of inner feathers buff with a few bars, that of outermost 

 white, central pair buff with comb-like black bars across both webs, 

 tip ash-grey and elongated portion black ; primaries with black 

 shafts, outer web of outermost black, rest with outer webs and part 

 of inner webs ash-grey, rest of inner webs and narrow fringe of outer 

 webs buffish-grey, inner feathers with broad pale buffish-grey tips 

 on inner webs with subterminal blackish patches ; secondaries pale 

 sand -buff, distal halves of outer webs black, narrowly bordered 

 sand-buff, inner feathers greyer on outer webs and with irregular 

 brown bars, innermost secondaries and coverts with purple-brown 

 patches as scapulars ; primary-coverts pale sand-buff with black 

 and grey shaft -streaks ; wing-coverts sand -buff, greater with 

 distal part of outer webs purple-brown, inner median with a few 

 round black spots and lesser round edge of wing with small black 

 spots. All body-feathers with basal plumulous portion rich 

 chocolate-brown. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 commencing with inner primaries in May or June, often complete 

 Oct. but sometimes not until Jan. or even Feb. Adult female. — 

 Crown and neck sand-buff, feathers with black spots at tip and 

 black shaft -streaks, fore-part of crown slightly washed yellow, 

 sides of neck with patch of orange paler and smaller than in male ; 

 rest of upper -parts as male but feathers with narrower black bars 

 and a penultimate black spot or short bar, thus much more barred 

 appearance than male ; throat orange paler than male, feathers at 

 base of throat barred black at tip forming narrow line, below which 

 upper -throat and breast is uniform buffish-grey without gorget ; 

 belly deep purple-brown ; tail and wing as male, but innermost 

 secondaries barred black and all lesser coverts and inner half of 

 rest of coverts with broad black spots at tip. 



Nestling. — Not examined but from figure and description 

 (Newton, Ibis, 1890, pp. 207-14, PI. VII) down on under-parts is 

 longish, soft and separated, that on upper -parts shorter and in 

 more compact tufts as in 8. tibetanus. General colour of upper- 

 parts cream with pattern of rich brown and sienna patches, patches 

 of latter on sides of head but under-parts uniform buff. 



Juvenile. 1st plumage. — There is evidently a plumage preced- 

 ing next described and immediately succeeding down but no 

 examples young enough to make description possible are available. 

 Judging by one bird with remains of this plumage it is much like 

 next described but paler buff with paler brown markings on upper- 

 parts, wing-coverts and breast. 2nd plumage. Male and female. — 

 First plumage must moult very shortly after it is acquired, a bird 

 with very few feathers of 1st plumage left has outer (2nd) primaries 

 of its 1st plumage not yet fully grown, yet some feathers of 1st 



