312 



ALCHATA PTEROCLES. 



grey- blue towards the tips of each feather, and 

 another of yellow: the lesser and middle wing- 

 coverts are striped obliquely with red-chesnut, 

 tipped with a white crescent ; the greater coverts 

 are greyish-olive, tipped with black crescents : the 

 belly, the sides, the abdomen, the thighs, and the 

 tips of the under tail-coverts, are white ; as are 

 also the extremities of the tail-feathers, and the 

 edges of the outer ones : the rest of the tail is 

 varied with yellow and black, and the two middle 

 feathers are considerably elongated and pointed : 

 the feathers on the fore-part of the tarsi are white : 

 the beak and the feet are grey, and the claws black. 

 The female has the throat white, with a half collar 

 beneath, of a black colour ; with a belt of orange, 

 as in the male : the upper parts of the plumage 

 resemble that of the male : the wing-coverts are 

 grey-blue, with an oblique reddish band, and tipped 

 with black lunules : the two middle tail-feathers 

 are not quite so long as in the male. The young 

 have their plumage less variegated : the upper 

 parts of the body are olivaceous, shaded with ash- 

 colour : the w^hite on the sides, the thighs, and the 

 abdomen, is varied with zigzag yellow and brown 

 lines. 



This bird inhabits most of the warmer parts of 

 Europe, as the South of France, Spain, Italy, Sicily, 

 and the Levant; it is very abundant in Persia, 

 Arabia, and the northern parts of Africa : it de- 

 lights in arid and sandy deserts, where it constructs 

 its nest of moss, briars, and slender herbs : it feeds 

 upon seeds and insects : it is caught in great num* 



