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Show 260 MR. D. G. ELLIOT O N THE PTEROCLIDA. [FEB. 19, 14. PTEROCLES DECORATUS. Pterocles decoratus, Cab. Journ. fiir Ornith. (1868) p. 413 Von der Deck. Reis.vol. iii. p. 43, pl. 13 (1869) ; Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 565; Von Heugl. Ornith. Nordost-Afr. (1873) Band ii. p. 870. Hab. Interior of East Africa, Lake Jipe. I have never seen a specimen of this bird, and only know it from Cabanis's description and figure. H e compares it to tricinctus, Swains, ( - quadricinctus. Temm.), but says it is smaller, and gives no description of the wings. It is, however, a very distinct species, and can easily be recognized by the characters given below, most of which are not found in any other known species. Male. Centre of forehead white, a large spot on each side and throat black. Top of head, neck, and back reddish grey, crossed with narrow lines of black. Superciliary stripe buffy white. Sides of head and breast sandy buff, with a greenish gloss, beneath which is an irregular black bar extending upwards to the shoulders of the wing, succeeded by a broad white band. Abdomen and flanks black, the feathers margined with rufous. " Total length 9"; bill along gape 7'" ; wing 6*5"; tail 2" 7'". Genus SYRRHAPTES. Body large, comparatively heavy. Bill rather small, delicate, pointed at tip ; culmen slightly curved, gonys ascending. Nostrils basal, hidden in feathers. Wings very long, pointed, first primary longest; primaries in one species filamentous. Tail cuneate, median pair of rectrices always lengthened beyond the rest, apical portion attenuated and pointed. Tarsus short, entirely covered by short feathers. Feet tridactyle ; hallux obsolete ; toes very short, completely hidden in feathers above ; the soles bare and scaly. Claws moderate, curved and acute. Key to the Species. A. Median rectrices prolonged far beyond the rest. a. Primaries filamentous. Breast uniform vinous, tinged with green on upper part, and crossed in the centre by an irregular bar formed of the narrow black lines at the tips of the feathers. Abdomen blackish... 1. S. paradoxus. b. Primaries not filamentous. Upper part of breast buffy white, irregularly barred with black ; rest of underparts pale buff, becoming white on the under tail-coverts 2. S. tibetanus. 1. SYRRHAPTES PARADOXUS. Tetrao paradoxus, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs, vol. ii. App. p. 712, tab. F(1773); Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. p. 755. sp. 3 0 ; Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 643. sp. 20 (1790) ; Bonnat. Ency. Meth. (1790) torn. ii. p. 205, pl. 93. fig. 1 ; Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-Asiat. vol. ii. p. 74(1831). Heteroclite Grous, Lath. Gen. Syn. Birds, vol. iv. p. 753(1783); id. Gen. Hist. Birds, vol. viii. (182*3) p. 261. |