Ord. 
GALLINJ£. 
Family  I V'.  Tetkaonid.*. 
«‘1>  Subfamily, 
PTEROCLINjE,  or  Sand  Grouse, 
^^^gthened'  ^ culmen  curved  to  the  tip,  and  the  sides  compressed ; theWings  and  Tail 
feathpvo  pointed;  the  Tarsi  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  robust,  and  more  or  less  covered  with 
iiind  nioderate  and  robust,  the  lateral  toes  more  or  less  united  to  the  middle  one,  and  the 
^^""^rudituental. 
Sill 
Pterocles  Temm.* 
arched  and  ^ ^^inien  rounded  and  curved  to  the  tip,  the  sides  compressed,  and  the  lateral  margins 
’^^arly  hidd^^^’^^^^  nostrils  basal,  lateral,  with  the  opening  partly  closed  by  a membrane,  which  is 
^'^^gest. 
inner 
^emb: 
T frontal  plumes.  Wings  very  long  and  pointed,  with  the  first  and  second  quills  the 
nioderate  and  wedge-shaped.  Tarsi  robust,  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  with  the  front 
robui 
St. 
O'  ±- ’'•*'7  — -'Q—  - / 
^ os  clothed  with  feathers.  Toes  short,  thick,  much  united  at  their  bases  by  a prominent 
iiich  extends  along  the  sides  of  each  toe,  the  upper  surface  covered  with  transverse  scales, 
^ surface  with  granulated  scales  ; the  hind  toe  rudimental ; the  claws  short,  curved,  and 
Th, 
-ese  smguia^j_i  f 
plains  o birds  inhabit  Southern  Europe,  Africa,  and  Asia,  in  the  dry  sandy  deserts,  the  bare  and 
singly  Or  ’ bushy  and  woody  grounds,  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  low  hills.  They  are  usually 
'^0^  ®Pecie8  sT  except  when  those  of  the  desert  resort  to  water,  which  is  performed  in  flocks  in  common  with 
owedj  these  birds,  when  flushed,  rise  with  a low  chuckling  call,  take  a short  flight  and  alight ; then,  if 
fr*"’  Sraitp  fc  ground  for  a short  distance,  and  with  difficulty  rise  again.  Others,  however,  “ fly,  according 
great  height,  and  suddenly  descend,  when  they  approach  the  water  or  their  feeding-grounds ; and 
fo 
other 
fob, 
even 
,.  "0nsoine„  •°  an  _ _ 
^ ^ght.  'lesceut  is  not  commenced  before  they  are  directly  over  the  spot  where  it  is  their  object  to 
pot.  Their  fo  they  require  to  form  a semicircular  or  circular  movement  before  they  can  reach  the  deshed 
^""ound  frojt^  consists  of  hard  seeds,  bulbs,  and  insects,  mixed  with  fine  gravel.  The  female  deposits  on  the  bare 
^0  to  four  eggs. 
1.  p 
^-  ^bata  Pan.,  Pterodes 
as  cata  rum 
at  a 
Mi, 
2.  P i (Ena 
setarius  Tetnm. ; Ft. 
goni, 
ca 
■ynariug 
Ha,,  ; Bollsa 
Pyrenaica  Briss.  ; Tetrao  subtridactylus 
3.  P.  namaqua  (Gmel.)  — Pterocles  tachypetes  Temm. 
4.  P.  Lichtensteinii  Temm.  PI.  col.  355.  36l.  — P.  bicinctus 
Licht. 
5.  P.  bicinctus  Temm.  Vieill.  Gal.  des  Ois.  t.  220.  — Pterocles 
tricinctus  Swains.  B.  of  W.  Afr.  ii.  pi. 
6.  P.fasciatus  (Scop.)  Del.  Flor.  et  Faun.  Insub.,  Sonn.  Voy.t. 
bshed  by  M.  Temminck  d'Ornith.)  in  1809 ; and,  in  1816,  Vieillot  gave  this  genus  the  name  of  (Enas. 
