TETRAONIDLE, the grouse, partridge, and quail family of birds, comprising the Perdicinat and Coturnicinm. The family belongs to the order Rasores, the gallinaceous or Tame birds. Naturalists include in this family the grouse, the partridge, Atnerican partridges, quails, and guinea - fowl. The grouse are peculiar to the northern portions of both continents. Partridges are found in Europe, AS13, and Africa, disappear ing in the Malayan Peninsula except in its extreme west. Quails have the same distribution as the true partridges, but have a thndency to accumulate in the south-eastern portion of the Malayan Pen insula, where, with Turnix of the Tinamidm, they are the only tropical gallinaceous birds. The guinea-fowl are natives of Africa.
Sub-Fani. Tetraoniore or true grouse, as yet not observed in India.
Sub-Font. Perdiciux or partridges ; those oc curring in India may be divided into snow cocks and snow ptutridges, peculiar to the highlands of Central Asia and the Himalaya; ordinary part ridges, comprising the francolin and elmkor ; grey partridges, wood partridges, and bush quail ; the true partridges represented by the grey part ridge of Europe, with one species from Tibet, and the great group of African partridges.
Snow Cocks and Snow Partridges. Tetraogallus Bimalayensis, Gray, Himalayan anew cock.
T. Tibetanus, Gould.
Lerwa nivioola, Hodgson, the snow partridge.
it. Partridges.
a. Francolins or meadow partridges. Franeolinus vulgaris, Stephens,. black partridge. F. pictus, Jard. and Selby, painted partridge. F. Phayrei, Myth, Burma.
b. Bock or sand 'Partridges. Cricoabls clinker, Gray, the chukor partridge.
Ammoperdix lxmhami, Gr-ay, the scesee partridge. A. llayi, Gould, Arabia.
c. Grey or bush partridge*. Ortygornis Ponticerianua, Ontelin, groy partridge.
O. gularis, Tema., the kyah partridge.
d. Wood partridges.
Arboricola torqueola, Valen., black-throated hill part ridge.
A. rufogularis, Blyth, rufous-throated hill partridge.
A. atrogularis, BlytA, Tiperah, Chittagong. A. intermedia, Myth, Arakan.
A. brunneopectus, Tickell, Tenaaserim. A. sphenura, —7 Chinn.
l'erdix personata, Horafteld, Java.
P. Javanica, Gnielin, Java.
P. Charltoni, ? Penang.
P. punctulata, Gray.
P. oculea, Temm.., Malay Peninsula. P. thoracica, Tenon., Philippines.
Rollulus coronatus, —? Malay Peninsula. E. niger.
e. Bush quails.
Perdicula Cambayensis, Latham, jungle bush quail. 1'. Asiatica, Latham, rock bush quaiL P. erythroryncha, Sykes, painted bush quail.
Sub-Fani. Coturnicinne, Quails. Coturnix communis, Banatere, the large grey quail. C. Coromandelica, Ginclin, black-breasted quail. Excalfactoria Chinensis, Linn., quaiL E. NOVW Guinew, Gm.
E. Adamsoni, Verreaux, Celebes.
E. minima, Gould, Celebes.
Other of the quails are arranged by natural ists under the family Tinamidm. Tetrao tetrix is the black-cock of Europe and Northern Asia. Mr. Atkinson, in the Altai, says black-cock shooting in September, when the first snow has fallen, is splendid sport. A common sledge, some times with one horse, at others with two, is pre pared, and nearly filled with straw ; upon this the sportsman sits down, and away the man drives into the forest, keeping a good look-out. When he SCCS the birds, he drives along till within rifle distance, and then stops. The sportstnan must shoot the lowest bird ; when this one drops, the ' others look down on their fallen mate, and remain quite still in the trees. I have more than once shot three out of the branches of the same tree, before the brood have taken flight. When tha birds aro going, the man gathers up the gatne, throws it into the sledge, and drives on again. In these woods it is not difficult to shoot from fifteen to tweuty brace of black-cock in day. This Call only be done with a pea-rifle, which makes a very small report, and is certain in its effect.
The Himalayan snow cock, Tetraogallus Him alayensis, is the Jer monal of the N.W., but keeps to the open hill-sides, is haras.sed by the ring tailed eagle, which never attacks it on the wing. It is 29 inches long, and weighs Gf lbs. Eggs about the size of those of the turkey. T. Tibet anus is of the Snowy Range, and T. Caucasicus, Pallas, is of the Persian mountains.