THREE-BANDED SAND-GROUSE. 
Pterodea tricinctus , Swains. 
PLATE XXIII. 
Throat and breast fulvous, the latter crossed by three collars 
— one of rufous, a second of white, and a third of black ; 
the rest of the body beneath crossed by numerous black 
and white bands ; tail rounded, fulvous, banded with black. 
The deserts of Africa appear to be tbe metropolis of 
tbe beautiful genus Pterocles or Sand-grouse, a group 
of birds which seem as much appropriated to tbe hot 
sandy tracts of that continent, as are the true grouse 
to the snowy wastes of the Arctic regions. They are 
mostly of a small size for gallinaceous birds, being 
inferior to our partridges; but their plumage, without 
being bright or showy, is so particularly elegant, 
that they are peculiar favourites with most ornitho- 
logists. MM. Temminek and Lichtenstein have 
paid particular attention to this group, and have 
figured or described most of the species. It appears, 
however, that the one now before us will not accord 
with any of their descriptions, and we shall accord- 
ingly give such a detailed account of both sexes as 
will prevent it from being confounded with any 
other. 
