Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Science
Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3
Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Birds
usually differ in the coloration of their plumage; the young at first
resemble the mother, but very soon attain their adult garb. The _Pteroclæ_
are only met with in the Eastern Hemisphere, and are particularly numerous
in Africa, whilst in Europe, owing to the small extent of their favourite
barren tracts, they are comparatively rare. Africa and Asia have their
distinct species, which usually remain throughout the entire year in
their native lands; owing, however, to their great power of wing, they
are capable of flying to a considerable distance, and often make their
appearance in countries very remote from each other. One species alone
migrates annually.
THE GANGA, OR LARGE SAND GROUSE.
The GANGA, or LARGE SAND GROUSE (_Pterocles arenarius_), one of the
largest members of the group, is of a reddish grey on the head, shading
into a somewhat deeper tint at the nape; the mantle is mottled with light
or dark yellow and slate-grey, each feather having a round yellow spot
at its tip; the throat is ochre-yellow, a band upon its lower portion
brownish black; the breast is reddish grey, and has a very clearly defined
streak on its surface, which is black or brownish black, as is the belly;
the quills are grey or greyish blue, tipped with brownish black above
and deep black beneath; the secondaries are white at the roots; some of
the feathers on the upper wing-covers are partially of a pure, unspotted
ochre-yellow, and those of the lower covers white; the two centre
tail-feathers are reddish brown, striped with pale black; the rest are
deep grey, tipped with white above, and coal-black on their lower surface.
The feathers on the upper tail-covers are mottled like the back, and those
on the lower covers spotted black and white; the plumage on the feet is
of a dark brownish yellow. The eye is deep brown, the beak dull blueish
grey. Both sexes are about thirteen and a half inches long, and from
twenty-six to twenty-seven inches broad; the wing measures eight inches
and three-quarters, and the tail four inches. The female is of a sandy
yellow over the entire back and sides of the throat, each of the mantle
feathers being striped with blackish brown, and those on the head, neck,
throat, and upper breast marked with small dark spots: the bands upon the
throat and breast are comparatively indistinct, and the brown and black
belly paler than that of the male bird.
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