P Q B 0 C E 5 PA N D E R I, Rsdur.
PODOCES PANDERI , Fischer.
Pander’s Podoces.
Podoces Ponderi, Fischer, Mém. Imp. Soc. Na t. Mose., v. pi. 21.—Bp. Consp., i. p. 388.—Sharpe, P. Z. S., 1870,
p. 334.—Cab. J , f. 0 . 1873, p. 63, Taf. iii. figs. 37, 38.
Corvus Ponderi, Eversm. Reis. Buch. App., p. 126.
Pica Ponderi, Wagl. Syst. Av., Pica, sp. 17.
Garrulus Ponderi, Gray, Hand-1. B., ii. p. 3 (1870).
A l th o u g h many years have elapsed since this fin e species was first described, it still remains one of the
rarest kinds of birds known, and not half a dozen examples are as yet to be seen in the galleries of European
museums. As far as I know, only one specimen has ever been sent to England, and from that bird my
present Plate has been drawn. I owe the opportunity of portraying this remarkable species to the liberality
o f Lord Lilford, in whose collection the bird remains. His Lordship may be congratulated on the
acquisition of this rarity, though it could be wished that it were in better condition.
Structurally Podoces reminds us of Pastor, and it resembles the members of the latter genus in its style
of coloration. Four species of the genus have been discovered, and all o f them are inhabitants of the great
desert region which stretches across Central Asia. From the inaccessibility of their habitat little is known
o f their h ab its; and the few notes reproduced below are, I believe, all that has been recorded respecting
the economy of Podoces Panderi.
Dr. Eversmann brought back one specimen from his Buchara expedition, this being the bird noted by
Lichtenstein, Bonaparte, and Cabanis as existing in the Berlin Museum, where for a long time it was the
only one known. He observes, “ One example was shot during our upward journey in the beginning of
December in the Desert of Kisilkum.” He gives a t the same time a very minute description of the species.
SevertzofF has more recently m et with it during his journey to T urkestan; and the late Professor Fedtschenko
discovered the eggs o f the present species while travelling through the last-mentioned country. These
were exhibited by Dr. Cabanis a t a meeting of the German Ornithological Society held on the 10th of
October, 1872, when the following note was given respecting the Podoces:— “ The birds were found nesting
in the Steppes on low trees, the nest being placed about the height of a man from the ground. The cry of
Podoces is remarkably loud and like that o f a Garrulax."
The accompanying description has been taken from Lord Lilford’s specimen:—
Adult.—General colour clear g rey ; the forehead, eyebrow, and a circlet of feathers round the eye white;
in front o f the latter a triangular patch of black ; ear-coverts a little lighter grey than the crown ; least wing-
coverts grey like the back, the greater series white, with black bases; primary coverts externally white,
black at base o f inner web; primaries pure white, except towards the ends, which are black, as also the
shafts o f the quills ; the secondaries white, the bases black, shaded with metallic green, this black colour
increasing diagonally on the secondaries and occupying nearly the whole of the innermost, excepting a small
patch of white at the extreme tip s ; upper tail-coverts entirely black, shaded with metallic g ree n ; throat
white ; fore neck black, forming a conspicuous p a tch ; rest of under surface of body suffused with a blush
o f pale p in k ; the abdomen and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts pure white, the .base of the
quills black, forming a bar right across the wing; bill horn-colour; legs brown. Total length 9 inches,
culmen 1*3, wing 4*7, tail 4, tarsus 1*9.
The figures are the size o f life.