S A N .B T . G R O A S E .
Genus FTEROCJLl#
Char. Beak moderate, compressed, aometinies s l e n d e r u p p e r met,nSA
cu rb ed towards the point. Nostrils Basal, partly closed b y a merabrasie, $
thé featlieis of the forehead: Fee*:, famished with short: toes,><h# HiwÜaé Ü
andarticulated high' on the tarsus; thiee toes befo re united togeih-'V m
ítrki««latioo and edged by a raembrane ; the frorrt o f th e tarsus eore red v ifl:
posterior aspect being naked. N o i h v e r y short, ib a t o& th e b a já toe
Tad conical; t|»e;: t5#o, middle -feaijheíS:v:e!0o^s^aÉy prolonged
,ff tttgs loijg: and pointed»fire hrst qúiil^feath^r longest.
¡ 'BA K ,i> **#$t:€ > |
¡ I I Pier«. »cíe» vin.’iu-irius, Temm.
Tub bftds which compose the gtemis Pterocies have jbeeft scpárided by 8#. Tftaiatfhidfc; froas the gemís
under which they had been previously included; and« .as they turn- stand, foran.a welMefitsed geiidsjibe species
o f which mhahits the dry and sandy deserto* e f the hotter portions of the. globe, .lire 'í«HÍ¡dWy }iewev«a\ Its
far from being considerable; two only have, we believe, as yet bes a ascertained to be native.« o f iio me. The
present species is found in mauy o f the provinces o f S p in , particularly Granada and AndaiqSia; i* ■; also
found in áicily and in the deserts o f the North o f Africa, as well as in Asia, whence We have received if
from the Himalaya Mountains. It does not appear to. extend: itself further north ward hi Etu-oj« than the
The Pierocles wmarias, as for as our experience goes, is the largest o f its gemís, and belongs ttforeotvr !
that section of it which wants the elongated filiform taibfeathers, so characteristic o f the othCr European
specie?. Id, habits, aiusir«;ra, «¡wl places ol- nidilftatiort, it chtóely resembles the $teyocles sp.ffinm,’-~-cm',nm~
The male and female (Uffer considerably an theft phrti?Mg«v •■•it'db’cumaismni f»-g, g reater or- less def'ra; characteristic
o f the species o f this '-mam.
In the male, the top o f the bead, ti»etwdp«p. a-ib; breast áre o f a dd tr ;kc grey eofoar; the bacfc and wing-
ebvens light rufous; each feaj.c: bcnig iiiy* jpiiWfy id;*' ■ ér;:?ñ}. «»Mt wka- •.,£ .
the <pulldeafhei*s dark grey, the tlilrdi««: itwd ««iji1« ?K? j'fe • yuéMw;, bwíga-isftwbk'ii ft W&s rriaisgtdai: Mack
mark surttfounts the dehVat» grey o f the' ftyi. srsnfts agare. exfemfe a bfoc« brand paasiftg from one
shoulder to the other. The whole of fcMi s-rtriatxi i* Mack, with tire e**ep?Kia *#.tbe. exsremkies o f die
tail-coverto, which are white ; the tail tawny ydknv wüfc.gréy bar»,. and WmiiKisiag gradfoaily «ótb the same
colour. I'otal length twelve ór thirteen inches.
In the tcmaie, the whole o f the upper surface ús of & ;tawny: yellow, thickly covered 'with irregular zigia.:
and barbed markings o f black; the throat nrercdy alfords an indication o f the black -mark which distinguishes
the maler, ihc breast is of the same colour a s upper surface, spotted with black and crossed -from
shoulder m> shoulder with a narrow hand o <f black, bareails which, aud the under surface which is blade, inter-
;Venes/ft spatig o f about an inch broad o f a delicate itwn colour ; 'the under tiiikcoverts • parity- whlce as- iu tire1
male (i jfhefiigrceinish olive.
’Wf'ifc liáve figured a male aud female in theft, a«3Mt plumage, rather less than their uatnral size,