PARTRIDGE.
Hajal, . . . AHAB. I Teetr, . . . HIND.
Perdix, . . . Fa., SP. Pernicc, . . . . IT.
1ZebhUhli, . . . GER. Keklik, . . . TURF.
Partridges belong to the Tetraonid:e and sub family Perdicinie, and the chief species in the East Indies are as under :— Lerwa nivicola, Hodys., snow partridge, Himalaya. Francolinus vulgaris, Stephens, black partridge, North India.
F. pictus, Jerdon, Selby, painted partridge, Central and Southern India.
F. Pbayreii, Blyth, North Burma.
F. pintadens, —? —? Caccabis chukor, Cray, chukor partridge, Western Himalaya.
C. Grnca,—? Western Asia,South Europe,North Africa. Ammoperdix bonhami, Gray, seesee partridge, Panjab. A. Hayi, Gould, Arabia, Palestine, Western Asia. Ortygornis Ponticerian us, Gmelin, grey partridge, South India.
O. gularis, Temm., kyali partridge, Bengal.
Rhizothera longirostris, roam. Malayana.
Arboricola torqueola, Vigors, black-throated hill part ridge, Himalaya.
A. rufogularis, Blyth, rufous-throated hill partridge. A. atrogularis, Blyth, Tiperab, Chittagong.
A. intermedia, Blyth, Arakan.
A. brunneopectus, — ? Tiekell, Tenasserim.
A. sphenura, — ? China.
Perdix personata, Ho•sf., Java.
P. Javanica, Gmelin, Java.
P. Hodgsonim, Gould, --? P. punctulata, Gray.
Charlton, —? P. chloropus, Blyth.
Rollulus coronatus, — ? Malacca crowned partridge. R. nigcr, —? ' There are three kinds of partridges in the plains of India, called by Indian sportsmen, black, painted, and grey ; also rock or sand-grey, or bush and wood partridges. The grey, the least handsome, and far inferior to the English bird, the most nearly approaches it in appearance. The black excels all for the splendour of its plumage. The
call of the black and painted partridge is very similar. In the Bombay Presidency the black partridge has not been seen south of Ditch. It is abundant north of it, in Sind, but would appear to be replaced by the painted, farther south. The flesh of all the partridges in Indiasis white, and far inferior to that of either the common English or red-legged bird. The ben 45f•the black part ridge is quite different in appearance to the male, is not unlike the painted partridge of both sexes, and is sometimes mistaken for it. The black partridge commences to pair about April iu the Himalaya, but earlier in the plains ; the young remain with their parents a long time, and are not fit for shooting until the middle or end of October. During the period of incubation the males can be heard answering each other; the call-note is harsh, and composed of four distinct sounds following each other in succession, and not unlike the words, Whee wha which a which,' which it repeats at short intervals when perched on a stone in bushy places. The Tibet partridge (P. Hodgsonim) was first discovered by Mr. Wilson of Mussoori in 1841, and subsequently described by Mr. Hodgson. It was (1854) met with by Lieutenant Smith, 15th Regiment, near the Pan gong Lake in Little Tibet. This partridge seems to be 'common along the western slopes of the Tibetan Himalaya, and affects barren mountain sides../erdon ; Adams.