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Show 1878.] MR. D. G. ELLIOT ON THE PTEROCLIDA. 241 chest barred with white and black; abdomen and vent barred with rufous and black. Under tail-coverts ochraceous. Tail blackish brown, barred and largely tipped with yellowish white. Bill and feet blue-black. Total length 1 If inches; wing 8|, tail 4\, bill along gape |-. A young bird differs from the female in having the breast vinous in the centre, pale buff on the sides, each feather with two narrow brown bars. Abdomen, flanks, and vent chestnut, barred sparingly with black. Wings very pale buff, barred with black. Rest of plumage as in the female. 2. PTEROCLES GUTTURALIS. Pterocles gutturalis, Smith, 111. S.-Afr. Zool. (Birds), pl. 3 <S, pl. 31 2 (1849); Gray, Gen. B. vol. iii. p. 519 (1849); Reich. Svn. Av. Gallinae (1851) pl. ccx. figs. 1829, 1830; von Heugl. Syst. Uber. Vog. N.O.-Afr. (1855) p. 304; Parker, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1862) p. 258; id. Journ. fiir Ornith. (1862) p. 286; Layard, Birds S. Afr. (1867) p. 278; id. Ibis (1868) p. 269; Ayres, Ibis (1869) p. 297; Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. (1870) p. 421; Von Heugl. Ornith. Nordost-Afr. Band ii. (1873) p. 862; Buckle, Ibis (1874) p. 385. Hab. Kurrichaine, South Africa (Smith); Trans-Vaal (Ayres, Buckley) ; Adoa and Axum to Shoa, A.byssinia (Heuglin); Agula, Antalo, Abyssinia (Blanford). This fine species of Sand-Grouse was first described by Sir A. Smith (/. c ) , who obtained it about eighty miles to the eastward of Latakoo, his attention having been drawn to the bird by its cry, which was very different from that of P. namaqua, and resembled the syllables tweet-tweet. Like all the other species they resorted to the water in large flocks, but when feeding were dispersed and observed only singly or in pairs. Grass-seeds and abundance of gravel were found in the stomachs of the individuals that were killed. The eggs, which are two or three in number, are laid upon the bare ground ; and the young take to a wandering life almost immediately after they are hatched. In Abyssinia Mr. Blanford considers this species to be local, as he only saw it in two or three places in the highlands, at Agula and Antalo; and Riippell mentions it only at Shoa, though Von Heuglin procured it near Adowa. Mr. Ayres states that in the neighbourhood of Potchefstrom, in the territory of the Transvaal, this species is abundant towards the end of winter and beginning of spring. Their flight is strong, resembling that of Pigeons; and when alarmed, they do not run, but lie close to the ground, from which they take wing at once. Their notes, uttered only on the wing, are harsh, and may be heard at a considerable distance. They feed upon a species of tare or pea, and upon bulbous roots of a species of grass; from the aromatic properties of these last the birds, after feeding freely upon them, are thoroughly scented. Iris is dusky-brown. The egg is " ]|£ in. by L | in.; the ground-colour is dusky-tawny, marked with lines aud PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1878, No. XVI. 16 |
