PTEROCLES.
Hind toe present but very small ; tarsus feathered to toes in front, naked behind ; toes naked; middle tail feathers lengthened.
Pterocles orientalis (I..). Iii,AcK-RELLIED SAND GRousL. d Above grey black, with ochreous tips ; wing coverts and secondaries ochreous ; throat chestnut, at its lower part a triangular black mark ; crown and chest pinkish grey, across the latter a black band ; lower breast and abdomen black ; middle tail feathers only slightly lengthened. Iris dark brown. Bill blue grey. Feet dull greyish blue. ? Above sandy, head and neck spotted, back and wing coverts barred dark brown ; beneath, throat yellow, merging into black on lower throat, between throat and breast a narrow grey band, breast buff with black spots and across lower breast a black band, abdomen black. Wing d ? 228-244. Tarsus 30-35. Bill 11-12 (H.).
and Portugal, E. Canaries (Fuerteventura), C. and S. Morocco, Algeria south of Atlas, C. and S. Tunisia, Tripoli, S. Russia (Volga Valley, and north of Astrakhan Govt.) ; also in W. Asia.
Pterocles alchata alchata (L.). PIN-TAILED SAND GROUSE.
summer. Upper parts greyish green with large yellow spots ; crown greyish, face orange red, wing coverts chestnut with yellow margins ; beneath, throat black, foreneck yellow buff, breast dark reddish buff between two black bars, abdomen white. Bill greyish brown. Feet and naked skin round eye bluish grey. Wing ? 194-215. Tarsus 27-28. Bill 10-11. Middle tail feathers 6o-8o m.m. longer than next pair. ? Upper parts yellowish barred with black and lavender, chin and throat white. 6 in autumn resembles ? but has no lavender bars. Young : above buff with V-shaped brown markings on upper parts.
Portugal, S. France.
P. alchata caudacutus (Gmelin). Colours lighter and duller, margins of wing coverts white.
Africa, from C. Morocco south of Atlas, through Algeria, Tunisia, and Tripoli to Cyrenaica ; also in W. Asia to India. Has occurred in Italy, Sicily, Malta.
Pterocles senegallus (L.).
d Isabelline ; wing covets and axillaries purplish brown with buff tips ; supercilium and neck grey, centre of abdomen black.
Bill bluish grey, with black tip. Feet bluish white. Skin round eye yellowish. Wing 194-210. Tarsus 23-25. Bill 11-13.
Middle tail feathers 40-60 m.m. longer than next (H.). ? Spotted brown on upper parts and chest ; throat ochreous.
Resident.—S. Algeria, S. Tunisia, N. Sahara, Tripoli to Egypt, and W. Asia to India ; also Africa and Arabia, south to Somaliland. Has occurred once in Sicily.
Pterocles coronatus coronatus Lichtenstein.
8 Reddish isabelline with buff tips on scapulars and wing coverts, crown cinnamon with blue grey coronet, centre of throat and Loral patches black, throat and hind neck ochreous. Bill and feet dark blue grey. Wing a ? 191-208. Tarsus 26-29. Bill 2o-2I (H.). ? Head and throat spotted, rest of upper and under parts barred with slaty black, under tail coverts uniform huff, throat yellow.
Resident.—Algeria and Tunisia south of Atlas, Tripoli, Cyrenaica, Egypt, N. Nubia, Sahara south to 23° N.
Pterocles senegalensis floweri Nicoll.
8 Upper parts greyish sandy, scapulars and upper wing coverts olive brown, former tipped pale yellowish, the latter with brown edges ; tail feathers grey brown with buff tips and irregular black transverse markings, central pair greyish sandy and at least 30 man. longer than the next pair, chin and throat ochre yellow, breast pale isabelline separated by an indistinct white line from a rusty brown band which merges into dark chestnut on abdomen ; under tail coverts buff, under wing coverts and axillaries blackish brown. Iris dark brown. Bill bluish grey. Feet light grey.
Wing 177-189 (H.). Has black stripes on crown and neck and on rest of upper parts black bars ; breast pale isabelline with black spots ; abdomen rusty red with dark brown transverse lines. Wing 168-179.
Resident.—Fayoum and Upper Egypt.
The typical race " P. s. seneghlensis" is browner on head and back and darker on breast, and occurs in N.E. Africa.