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NATURAL Hrs TorR Y. EDITED BY R. BOWDLER SHARPE, LL.D., F.L.S., &c sl [ 3-0", HAND-BOOK a LO} GHEE Cv E- biR DS. BY wis Ko OGILVIE-GRANE, ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM. BOT stk. SAND-GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, PHEASANTS, LONDON: ( ee 12, SALISBURY SQUARE, FLEET STREET. 1896. PRINTED BY WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED. PREFACE. THE name of my colleague, Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, is now so well known as an authority on the Game-Birds that very few remarks are necessary to introduce him to my readers. The work is founded on his volume of the “ Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,” where the student will find detailed the material, on which he has grounded the present monographic review. The aim of the Author has been to provide such a “ Hand-book ” as may be useful to sportsmen in every part of the world, and the present volume will prove of service to travellers in Africa, as it gives a diagnosis, whereby every species of Francolin, known up to the present time, may be distinguished. The second volume will deal with the Pheasants, American Partridges, Megapodes, Curassows, and Hemipodes, in the same concise manner, and will, I believe, be found of equal service to the sportsman and naturalist. R. BOWDLER SHARPE. nae + =) 4 bit Lo = in ies ee Ne a Ash sere fi sv es, re - Bs Ds 1s > ae pik jaa ity ze, mo hHOkS (PREEACE. IN preparing the present volume, which includes the first half of the species commonly termed ‘‘ Game-Birds,” my great aim has been to treat the subject in such a way that this little book may not only be useful as a scientific work of reference, but also as a handy book for sportsmen and field naturalists. With its aid, they should be able not only to identify the birds they shoot, with as little trouble as possible, but also to find out what is known concerning the life-history of each species. References are, in every case, given to the more important works, especially those in which good figures of the birds are to be found. The descriptions of the adult male and female have been made as short as possible, only the distinguishing characters being given, while the more important points are printed in italics ; and it is believed that, in every case, the descriptions will be found quite sufficient to enable those who have no previous knowledge of this group, to identify any species of Game-Bird they may chance to meet with. In such birds as the Seesee Partridges, and in some of the closely allied species of Kalij and Koklass Pheasants, the females so closely resemble one another, that it has been found impossible to give characters by which they may be distin guished one from another. In such cases the best guide to vl AUTHOR’S PREFACE. identification is the Jocadity (if that is known) in which the individual bird was obtained. My endeavour has been, as far as possible, to give the de- scription, &c., in the plainest language, devoid of scientific phraseology, but should the reader ever be in doubt as to which part of the bird is referred to, he has only to turn to the diagram (of a Francolin) given at the beginning of the book (p. xvi.), which will clearly explain the terms employed in the description. I have to acknowledge the great assistance I have received from the works of Captain Bendire on the “ Life History of North American Birds,” and the notes published by Mr. A. O. Hume, C.B., in the “ Game Birds of India.” On the Grouse and Ptarmigan I have also derived much useful information from the “‘ Shooting Sketches” of Mr. J. G. Millais. W. R. OGILVIE-GRANT. SYSTEMATIC: INDEX. ORDER PTEROCLETES. ... ... aed” Laks Has “sue, sal fPoaviriy I. PLEROCLIDA, 3 I, SYRRHAPTES, Illig. a I. paradoxus (Pall.). oes no aan ae aes 2, tibetanus, Gould. es os sa on ae 0 6 II. PrEROCLURUS, Bp. 7 fee alehatuss(1.,). 8 a. pyrenaicus (Seeb.). ... oe er ae wat Jee 2. namaquus (Gm.), sae ae es von ee Baer el's 3. exustus (Temm.). acs are Hae aa a AS Stee 2 4. senegallus (L). ... wate wad ne oh Bor ie ta III. PreRocies, Temm. aes ae ee ae APP: one hG I. arenarius (Pall.). wae Pci ate ate ses eae + Gecoratus, Cab. ... Race ae’ ees Aa ane moe AK) . variegatus, Smith. ie ves wee see wisi ee ole . coronatus, Licht. bic cod nee aia vas rie oils) . gutturalis, Smith, mae ves vee sa eae eu WO) . personatus, Gould. or nee eve vas sce mo . lichtensteini, Temm. ... ct sah “tei ar eee AO) . bicinctus, Temm. ss ace vee wee re re AN! . fasciatus (Scop.). ane ce ae PA eh ieee 10, quadricinctus, Temm. ... ed ‘ro tee “gt os 24 ORDER GALLINA, ...__... As oe ne ee Pav T) TETRAONIDA:, sg wie see athe eee ZO ON OM BW ND X=) I, LAcopus, Briss, vise ae fa re a aie sc 220 I. scoticus (Lath.). uae cus a d's oss ey) 2, lapopusi(L.). ss se rufa (L.). . petrosa (Gm.). ... 5. melanocephala (Riipp.). V. AMMOPERDIX, Gould. ir bonhami (Fraser). 2, heyi (Temm.). .«.. VI. FRANCOLINUS, Steph. . francolinus (L.). . pictus (J. and S.). . chinensis (Osbeck). . lathami, Hartl. ... . pondicerianus (Gm). . coqui (Smith). a . hubbardi, Ogilvie-Grant. . schlegelii, Heugl. . streptophorus, Ogilvie-Grant. ... . sepheena (Smith), . granti, Hartl. . kirki, Hartl. . spilogaster, Salvad. , albigularis, Gray. , spiloleemus, Gray. . gutturalis (Riipp.). . uluensis, Ogilvie-Grant. . IQI . 101 SiO . 106 Piey, . 108 . 108 a E an TE2 oe le . £12 Bee Ni) ane a! Se RE Pee 8% Pee = Bey Belts et 5) nly SYSTEMATIC INDEX. FRANCOLINUS—(continued). 18, 19, 20, 21. 22. 22, 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Bie Q2. africanus, Steph. finschi, Bocage. a castaneicollis, Salvad. ... levaillanti (Valeng.). gariepensis, Smith, jugularis, Biittik. shelleyi, Ogilvie-Grant. elgonensis, Ogilvie-Grant. gularis (Temm.). adspersus, Waterh. griseostriatus, Ogilvie-Grant. bicalcaratus (L.). clappertoni, Childr. gedgii, Ogilvie-Grant. ... hartlaubi, Bocage. 32a. dybowskii, Oust. 43. 44. . icterorhynchus, Heugl. . sharpii, Ogilvie-Grant. » capensis (Gmi.)./... . natalensis, Smith. . hildebrandti, Cab. . johnstoni, Shelley. . fischeri, Reichenow. . squamatus, Cass. . schuetti, Cab. . ahantensis, Temm. jacksoni, Ogilvie-Grant. erckeli, Riipp. VII. PTERNISTES, Wagler. I. Oo ON AM HW NHN nudicollis (Bodd.). . humboldti (Peters). . afer (P. LL. S. Mull.). . cranchi (Leach). . boehmi, Reichenow. . swainsoni (Smith). . rufopictus, Reichenow. . leucoscepus, Gray. . infuscatus, Cab.... PAGE Pee iy? cue LEO vos TES Fee « 120 >; e21 - oT . 122 =. 122 nee 28 wn, L25 > E26 - 126 ee, ape 7 / on 2Oe, . 128 ade ee) if$20 jet EO ae: $22 32 see whee ss5 138

ern Sanara and found it breeding. Practically nothing is known regarding the habits or arecise area of distribution of this bird. Eggs. markings. Ashy-white, with a few, almost obliterated, pale brown V. SMITH’S CHESTNUT-VENTED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES GUTTURALIS. Lterocles gutturalis, Smith, Rep. Exped. Centr. Afr. p. 56 (1836) and Zool. S. Afr. pl. iii, [male] and pl. xxxi. [female] (1838-9); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 25 (1893). Adult Male.—Lelly uniform deep chestnut; tarsus uniform rufous-buff, sot barred with black or brown; under tail- coverts uniform dark chestnut ; upper surface of the shaft of the first flight-feather dark or dusky, xever white ; eyebrow- stripe and throat pale yellowish-buff; a black band across the neck, and a second one from the gape to the eye. Total Feueun, ©2 inches ; wing, 8°3 ;, tail, 3°4; tarsus; 1-2. Adult Female.—-Differs in having xo marked eyebrow-stripe ; no black band across the throat ; that from the gape to the eye brownish ; and the lower breast and belly chestnut, barred with black. Total length, 11°6 inches; wing, 8-2; tail, 3-1; RarSUS, I°I. Range.—-Found in South-eastern, Eastern, and North-eastern Africa, from the Transvaal to the highlands of Abyssinia and to the Wembaere Steppes and Masai-land. Habits.—This large and handsome bird is one of the most plentiful of the Sand Grouse near the Limpopo, and Ayres found it breeding there in June. In the neighbourhood of Potchefstroom, he tells us, they are tolerably plentiful towards the end of winter and beginning of spring, but appear to leave in summer. ‘They are seldom met with singly, generally in companies of from three to a dozen or more, and frequent C2 20 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. the bare ground not far from water. Their flight is exceedingly strong, and on the wing they somewhat resemble some of the Pigeons, especially Columba pheonota. On the approach of danger, they crouch and lie very close to the ground, being then extremely difficult to see; when disturbed, they do not run, but rise quite suddenly with a loud whirring noise. Eges.—Three, placed on the bare ground amongst grass, without the slightest appearance of a nest. VI. THE MASKED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES PERSONATUS, Pterocies personatus, Gould, P. Z. 5. 1843, p. 15; id. Voyage of the “Sulphur.” Zool. p. 49, pl. 30 (1844) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit Mus. xxii. p. 26 (1893). Adult Male.—Belly rufous-buff, ‘closely barred with black; tarsi uniform buff, zof barred with black or brown ; under tail- coverts uniform buff; upper surface of the shaft of the first flight-feather dark or dusky, ever white; a broad black band surrounding the gape; upper back uniform isabelline-brown. Total length, 11°6 inches ; wing, $°5; tail, 3°7; tarsus, 1. Adult Female.— Distinguished by having wo black band round the gape; the wpper dack, as well as the lower breast and belly, barred with black.. Total length, 11°5 inches; wing, 8; tail, 3°4; tarsus, I. Range.—Peculiar to the island of Madagascar. VII. CLOSE-BARRED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES LICHTENSTEINI. Pterocles lichtensteint, Temm. Pl. Col. v. pls. 25, 26 [Nos. 355, 361] (1825) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 65, pl. (1878) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit, Mus. xxii. p. 29 (1893). Adult Male.-—Tarsus uziform w/ite; under tail-coverts closely barred with black ; a pectoral band of four bars, buff, reddish- brown, buff and black ; throat spotted with black ; chest above the pectoral band narrowly barred with black; the wing- THE SHORT-TAILED SAND-GROUSE. 21 coverts white, narrowly barred with black, and with buff tips. ‘otal length, 10°3 inches; wing, 7; tail, 2°38; tarsus, Ir. Adult Female—Differs from the male and is distinguished from the females of allied forms by having xo pectoral band ; the throat thickly spotted with black, to the chin, the upper breast barred with black ; the tarsus pure white, and the black bars on the wing-coverts and chest narrow and regular. Total length, 9°7 inches; wing, 7; tail, 2°8; tarsus, 1°1. Range.—North-eastern Africa and South-western Asia, ex- tending from Kordofan and Nubia to Abyssinia, Somali-land, and the Suk Country. Across Arabia to the western portions of Sind. Habits.—Like the Painted Sand-Grouse described below, this species is chiefly met with among bush- and thin tree- jungle, and in other respects their habits appear to be very similar. Eggs-—Heuglin occasionally found “nests” of this species, which, he says, contained “two cylindrical-shaped eggs, much the colour of dirty and faded Peewits’ eggs.” VIII. THE DOUBLE-BANDED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES BICINCTUS. Pterocles bicinctus, Vemm. Pig. et Gall. ili. pp. 247, 713 (1815) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 30 (1893). Adult Male-—Under tail-coverts closely barred with black ; a pectoral band of ¢wo bars, white and black; throat not spotted with black; chest above the pectoral band uniform. Total length, 9:7 inches ; wing, 6°9 ; tail, 3°3; tarsus, o’o. Adult Female—/Vo pectoral band ; throat spotted with black to the chin, especially on the sides ; upper breast and chest rather irregularly barred with black; tarsus barred with black- ish-brown. ‘Total length, 9°7 inches; wing, 6°6; tail, 3-2; tar. sus, 0°9. LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. bo to Range.—South Africa, extending east through the Transvaal, west to Mossamedes, and south to the Orange River. Habits—A common species in many parts of South Africa. Ayres says that “next to P. gwtturalts, this is the most plentiful Sand-Grouse found near the Limpopo. The greater number of those we saw in June were in flocks, but some few had paired and were breeding.” According to Andersson it is the commonest species in Damara and Great Namaqualand, © where considerable numbers may be seen during the dry season, at any of the few permanent waters that exist in those countries. Large flocks frequent these pools about dark and during the early part of the night, as well as sometimes at early dawn; they remain only a short time at the water and announce their arrival and departure by incessant sharp cries. IX. INDIAN PAINTED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES FASCIATUS. Tringa fasciaia, Scop. Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. 1. p. 92 (1786). Pterocles fasciatus, Gray, List B. iil. p. 49 (1844) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 59, pl.(1878) ; Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 27 (1893). Adult Male—Under tail-coverts closely barred with black ; a pectoral band of ¢hrvee differently coloured bars, chestnut, white or buff, and black ; throat not spotted with black ; the chest above the pectoral band uniform yellowish-buff, and each wing-covert with a white anda grey band near the extremity, sometimes with four alternate white and grey bars. ‘Total length, to’8 inches ; wing, 6°7 ; tail, 3°35 SarsHs, “oro: Adult Female.— Wo pectoral band; only a few black spots af the base of the throat, upper breast and wing-coverts with narrow regular bars of black ; the feathers of the feet darred with blackish-brown. Total length, 10°5 inches; wing, 6:2; tail, 2°9; tarsus, 0'9. THE SHORT-TAILED SAND-GROUSE. Aig Range —Only found ii the Peninsula of India. Habits.—The habits of this beautiful little Sand-Grouse re- semble those of P. “ichtensteini, and are very different from those of most of the species already mentioned, and, though widely distributed throughout India, Mr. Hume saysthat it is very local, being chiefly found in the neighbourhood of low rocky bush-clad, or thinly wooded, hills, and in forest-tracts where the ground is stony and broken up by ravines. “They seldom stray far from their natural haunts, unless during the dry season, when compelled to do so in search of water. Compared with other Sand-Grouse, they run extremely well, and never associate in huge flocks, seven to ten being the largest num- bers flushed at one time. When flushed they seldom fly far, and run for a considerable distance after they have alighted. Excellent sport may be had in localities where they are abund- ant, for they lie well and are seldom, if ever, wild. Writing from the Central Provinces, Mr. Thompson observes: “I can quite corroborate Dr. Jerdon’s observations as to the crepus- cular habits of this species. It is quite nocturnal and feeds and goes to water even in the darkest night. I have seen birds atrive at the edge of a plain at dusk, and remain feeding and going to water during the dark hours before the moon got up. I have frequently, too, noted parties of six or seven flitting about noiselessly over an opening in the forest long after sunset. “During the early part of the rains these birds entirely leave the forests and jungles, and then, all through the rains, live in the open country, exactly as P. exustus does, but they are never noisy like the latter. “Large numbers of Painted Grouse are taken during the rainy season by bird-catchers, who, approaching under cover of a screen made of green leaves and twigs, drop a circular net, suspended to a loop and held out horizontally at the end of a long bamboo, over the birds, which, as a rule, never seem to suspect that there is danger at hand.” 24 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTCRY. Nest.—A slight depression scratched in the soil, sheltered by a tuft of grass or low bush. Eggs.—Two, but more often three are laid; rarely four. Pale salmon, and sometimes buffy stone-colour, with the usual purple spots and clouds underlying specks and tiny streaks of brownish-red. Measurements average 1°42 by 0°98 inch. X. THE AFRICAN PAINTED SAND-GROUSE. PTEROCLES QUADRICINCTUS. Pterocles quadricinctus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. i. pp. 252, 713 (1815) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 32 (1893). (nas bicinctus, Vieillot (zec Temm.), Gal. Ois. iii. p. 60, pl. 220 (1825). Pieroces tricinctus, Swains..B. W. Africa, p. 222, pl scum [female ] (1837). Adult Male.— Under tail-coverts closely barred with black ; a pectoral band of ¢/vee bars, chestnut, white or buff, and black ; throat not spotted with black; chest above the pectoral band uniform ; and each wing-covert with one or two separate deep black bars, narrowly edged on each side with white. The male of this species closely resembles that of the Indian Painted Sand-Grouse (?. fasciatus), but may be at once distinguished by the markings on the wing-coverts. Adult Female.—/Vo pectoral band; no spots on the throat ; upper breast uniform buff, contrasting with the belly, which is barred with white and black ; tarsus barred with black. Range.—Extends from Senegambia in the west, to Abyssinia in the east. Habits —Unknown. THE TRUE GAME-BIRDS. to Ur THE TRUE GAME-BIRDS. ORDER GALLINZA. This Order includes the great bulk of the species commonly known as ‘‘ Game ”-Birds, and may be recognised by the follow- ing characters. The nasals are holorhinal (Fig. 5) and true basipter ygoid processes are absent, but represented by sessile facets (sf) situated far forward on the sphenoidal rostrum (Fig. 6). The Fic. 5.—Skull of Red Grouse. Fic. 6.—Skull of Red Grouse. episternal process of the sternum is perforated to receive a pro- cess from the base of the coracoids (Fig. 7, 4), and there are two deep notches on each side of the posterior margin of the sternum (Fig. 7, 2). The bill is short and stout, the upper mandible being arched and overhanging the lower. The hind-toe is always present, but varies in size and posi- tion. The feathers covering the body are provided with well- developed after-shafts. The nestlings are born covered with down, and able to run a few hours after being hatched. 26 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. The eggs, especially of the smaller species, are often numer- ous, and when spotted have only a single set of surface marks, aS Fic. 7.—Sternum of Red Grouse, none of the pale underlying spots characteristic of the Sand- Grouse, Hemipodes, and Wading Birds, being found. THE GROUSE... FAMILY ‘TETRAONDDA: Distinguished by having the hind-toe raised above the level of the other toes. The nostrils are wholly, and the feet (metatarsi) partially or entirely hidden by feathers, never armed with spurs. ‘The toes are either covered with feathers or naked and pectinate, z.e., with a series of horny comb-like processes on each side. I: THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN: GENUS: LAGOPUs, Lagopus, Briss. Orn. i. pp. 181, 216 (1760). Type, Z. Zagopus (Linn.). These birds may be easily known from all other members PLATE II. FEATHERS OF SCOTCH GROUSE. THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN., 27 of the Galtine by having their fect and toes densely covered with feathers. The tail is moderately long, and composed of sixteen feathers, the outer ones being nearly as long as the middle pair. lpekne RED eCROUSE. SLAGCOPUS: SCOLIGCUS: (Piates If. and L/1.)* eer7ao scouczs, Lath- Gen. Syn. Suppl. 1. p. 290 (1787). Lagopus scoticus, Leach, Syst. Cat. p. 27 (1816); Millais, Game-Birds, pp. 43-62, pls. and woodcuts (1892) ; Ogilvie- Sidiipeate be Brit. Mus. xxii.-p. 35 (1893): id) Ann scot. Nat. Hist. 1894, pp. 129-140, pls. v. vi. Adult Male and Female—This species may be distinguished by having the flight-feathers a/ways blackish-brown. Male: ‘Total length, 15:5 inches; wing, 8:1 ; tail, 4°8 ; tar- Bus, 1°4. Female: ‘Total length, 15 inches ; wing, 4°83 tail, 4-3'stare Bas, 1°35. Range-—Great Britain and Ireland. The only species of Game-Bird peculiar to the British Islands. Changes of Plumage.—As no group of birds, as far as we are aware, go through so many and such varied annual changes of plumage as the members of the genus Zagofus, which includes the Red Grouse, Willow Grouse, and four species of Ptarmigan, it will be necessary to enter somewhat fully into details so as to thoroughly understand the subject. The Red Grouse being one of the most variable birds in existence, we must begin by saying a few words regarding individual variation. ‘The ordinary varieties of the ma/e may be divided into three distinct types of plumage: a red form, a * T am much indebted to the courtesy of the editors of the ‘* Annals of Scottish Natural History” for allowing me to reproduce the plates illustrating my article ‘‘ On the Changes of Plumage in the Red Grouse,” published in their magazine and quoted above. 28 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. black form, and a white-spotted form. ‘The first of these, in which the general colour is rufous-chestnut (PI. II., Fig. 8) with- out any white spots on the breast, is mostly to be found on the low grounds of Ireland, the west coast of Scotland, and the Outer Hebrides. Typical examples of the second, or black form (Pl. II., Fig. 10) are rarely met with, and are usually found mixed with either the red or white-spotted forms, but most often with both, and specimens in mixed plumage are those most commonly met with. The third, or white-spotted form, has the feathers of the breast and belly, and sometimes those of the head and upper-parts, tipped with white. The most typical examples of this variety are found, as a rule, on the high grounds of the north of Scotland. In the fema/e, no less than ve distinct types are recognisable, the ved, the dlack, the white-spotted, the buff-spotted, and the buff-barred, forms. The first two are the rarest, the latter being extremely uncommon (PI. III., Figs. 5 and 13). The white- spotted form occurs as in the male; the buffspotted form, which is much the commonest and most usually met with, has the feathers of the upper-parts spotted at the tip with whitish- buff (Pl. III, Figs. 2 and 3); the fifth, or buff-barred form (Pl. III., Fig. 4), is met with in the south of Ireland, and re- sembles in winter (autumn plumage) the ordinary female in breeding plumage, having the upper-parts coarsely barred with buff and black. Very little is known of this last variety, owing to the difficulty in obtaining birds, except during the shooting- season. The great peculiarity of the Red Grouse, and one without parallel among birds even of the genus, lies in the fact that the changes of plumage in the male and female occur at different seasons. The madze has no distinct summer plumage, but has distinct autumn and winter plumages, and retains the latter through- out the breeding-season. The female has a distinct summer plumage, which is com- THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 29 plete by the end of April or beginning of May; also a distinct autumn plumage, which is retained till the following spring. To put it more concisely, both male and female have two distinct moults during the year, but in the male they occur in autumn and winter, and in the female in summer and autumn ; the former having no distinct summer, and the latter no dis- tinct winter, plumage. Inthe Willow Grouse and Ptarmigan there are ¢Aree distinct changes of plumage in summer, autumn, and winter in both male and female alike, the winter plumage being w7¢e in all. The Red Grouse is considered by most ornithologists merely an insular form of the Willow Grouse, and consequently one might naturally suppose that as the British species does not turn white in winter, such protective plumage being un- necessary in the localities it inhabits, the winter moult has been gradually dropped. Nowthis is the case with the female only, and we find the male, for no apparent reason, changing his newly acquired buff and black autumn plumage for a winter one of chestnut and black. Further investigations may lead to some explanation of this strange anomaly, but at present we know of none. Adult Male.—Autumn Plumage.—After the breeding-season a very complete autumn moult takes place, the quills, tail, and feathers on the feet being entirely renewed. In most examples the feathers of the upper-parts are black, margined and irregu- larly barred with tawny-buff, and in most cases the bars cross the feathers more or less transversely (Pl. II., Fig. 4), but in some they are more or less concentric and parallel with the marginal band, giving the upper-parts a scaled appearance. (Pl. II., Figs. 6 and 7.) The feathers of the chest are rather widely barred with buff or rufous-buff and black (Pl. II., Fig. 11), and some of the flank-feathers are more narrowly barred with tne same colours. The rest of the under-parts vary according to the type to which the individual belongs, being chestnut, black, or white-spotted, or a mixture of all three. In a bird 30 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. shot on the 6th of June, the autumn moult having commenced on the upper mantle, three different sets of feathers can be seen on the back at once, belonging to the new autumn, the old winter, and the old autumn plumages, both the latter very clearly showing the result of wear and tear (PI. II., Figs. 1-3). The males at this season, no matter to what type they be- long, bear a much closer resemblance to one another than they do in their winter plumage, only the under-parts of the body differing conspicuously. | The first feathers of the winter plumage begin to appear about the beginning of September. Adult Male.—Winter-Summer Plumage.—General colour above black, with finely mottled bars of dark chestnut (PI. II., Fig. 5); head, neck, and chest (Pl. II., Fig. 12) mostly dark chestnut, finely marked with black ; and the flanks mottled and barred with the same colours, the chestnut usually predominating. Generally a greater or less number of autumn feathers are re- tained, and are conspicuous among the new winter plumage. The rest of the under-parts remain the same as after the autumn moult. The general colour of each bird varies, of course, according to the type to which it belongs, some being darker, some lighter, When once the winter moult is complete, 20 change whatever takes place in the plumage of the male till the following autumn moult, except that the feathers become bleached and worn at the extremities. Adult Female——Autumn-Winter Plumage.*—Upper-parts black, * The form described is the commonest or be//-sfolted form of the female in autumn plumage, In typical examples of the red form the buff spots at the ends of the feathers of the upper-parts are absent, and this is also the case in the much rarer black form. In the buff-barred form, from the south and west of Ireland, the terminal buff spot takes the form of a marginal bar, and the feathers are practically indistinguishable from the breeding or summer - plumage. It may transpire that, in the south of Ireland, the most southerly point of this bird’s range, the female retains her breeding plumage through- out the year, but this seems unlikely, and birds killed between the months of April and August are wanted to settle this point, : PLATE 8. dures FEATHERS OF SCOTCH GROUSE TIGZE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 31 with narrow irregular bars and mottlings of rufous, and a bufi spot at the tip of most of the feathers (Pl. III., Figs. 2 and 3); chest and flank-feathers narrowly and often irregularly barred with rufous and black, and usually more or less tipped with buff (Pl. III., Figs. ro and 11). The rest of the under-parts are dark chestnut, mottled and barred with black, or black, barred with chestnut. The typical white-spotted form differs, of course, in having the feathers of the under-parts widely tipped with white. Adult Female.-—Summer Plumage. A. Feathers of the Upper-parts. So far as I have been able to ascertain from examining a large number of specimens, the summer feathers of the wfper- parts are always attained by moult, and never by change of pattern. ‘The summer moult of these parts is very complete, and the transformation from the autumn-winter plumage very remarkable. Every female assumes the summer plumage, and at this season all the different types closely resemble one an- other, but one can generally tell by the colour of the under-parts to which form an individual belongs. In the average female in full breeding dress the upper-parts may be described as black, each feather being rather widely margined, barred, and marked with orange-buff (Pl. III., Fig. 1). ‘The protection afforded by this plumage is so perfect that, when the bird is sitting on its nest among heather and dead grass, it may easily remain unob- served, though only a few yards distant. This plumage, however, varies much in different individuals, birds from the west of Scotland, Yorkshire, and Ireland having the orange-brown bars much brighter and wider than in the more finely mottled and darker specimens generally charac- teristic of the east of Scotland. L. Leathers of the Sides and Flanks. By the first week in May the summer plumage of the female 32 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Grouse is fairly complete, and many of the finely mottled rufous and black autumn flank-feathers are replaced by widely, and often irregularly, barred buff and black feathers, similar to those of the chest. It must be particularly noted that in ome of the many females examined, in breeding plumage, were the zvho/e of the autumn flank-feathers cast or changed in the summer moult, a large proportion being retained, unchanged in colour, till the next (autumn) moult. The summer flank- feathers are produced in two ways, either by a gradual re- arrangement and change in the pigment of the autumn feathers (Pl. III., Figs. 6-8) or by moult (Pl. III., Fig. 9). In some birds the whole of the alteration in the plumage of the flanks is pro- duced by change of pattern in the old autumn feathers, in others the change is entirely produced by moult, while some- times both methods are employed by the same individual. In the former case, the first indication of the coming change may be observed in the beginning of November, or even earlier, when many of the flank-feathers show traces of an irregular buff stripe or spot near the terminal half of the shaft (Fig. 7). As the bird only changes about half its flank- feathers, these buff marks are only to be cbserved on such as are destined to undergo alteration of pattern, which, roughly speaking, means every second or third feather. The buff spot gradually enlarges and spreads along the shaft, then becomes constricted at intervals and broken up into patches which gradually extend laterally towards the margins of the webs, forming wide irregular buff bands (Fig. 8). Meanwhile the interspaces become black, and the rufous of autumn dies out. When the summer feathers are supplied by moult, they usually begin to make their appearance about the beginning of March, and even when fully grown, may generally be recog- nised from those produced by change of pattern, by their more regular black and buff barring (Pl. III., Fig. 9) The change of pattern without a moult appears to take a long time to become complete, for we find, as already shown, that though autumn ——— THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 33 feathers, altered in this way, begin to show traces of the coming metamorphosis as early as the beginning of November, the colours are often imperfectly arranged by the end of April. - When the summer feathers are supplied entirely by moult, no change whatever is visible in the autumn plumage of the flank- feathers till about the end of February, when the first new feathers begin to appear, though we have noted a single in- stance of one summer feather making its appearance as early as the middle of December. There can be no doubt that the male completes his autumn moult very much more guickly than the female does, many males being in full autumn plumage by the beginning of Sep- tember. Possibly this may be accounted for by the resources of the female being more severely taxed than those of the male during the breeding-season. It may very naturally be asked why some females should change their summer flank-feathers by moult, while others are enabled to arrive at the same result by going through the much less exhaustive process of re- decorating their old autumn feathers, and making them serve the purpose of new breeding plumage. This isa difficult question to answer, but it seems natural to suppose that the more vigorous birds gain their summer flank-feathers by moult, while nature has enabled the weaker individuals to obtain the necessary protective nesting plumage by a more gradual and less exhaustive process. C. Leathers of the Chest. The summer change of the feathers of the fore-neck and chest in the female Red Grouse is similar to that which takes place on the sides and flanks, but is very much more complete, ail the feathers being widely barred with black and yellowish- buff by the beginning of May (PI. III., Fig. 12). As will be easily understood, these being conspicuous parts _ of the bird when she is sitting on her eggs, it is most important for her that the protective black and buff plumage should be 8) D 34 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTGRY complete. The greater part of this change is generally pro- duced by moult ; but, as is the case with the flank-feathers, some individuals (probably less robust females) attain the change without moulting. The same rearrangement of the pigment described in speaking of the flanks takes place in the chest-feathers, and the finely mottled and barred rufous-and- black autumn plumage becomes widely barred with black and buff. Young birds in July resemble the adult female in breeding plumage in their general colour, but the flank-feathers of the adult plumage begin to appear about this time. By the month of November the young are generally not to be distinguished from the adults. Nestling. —In this and all the other species of Zagopus, the nestling is covered with fluffy yellow down, with rich brown pattern on the upper-parts. Habits.—This species inhabits the open moors covered with heath and ling from sea-level, but is not found above the limits where these plants grow, its place being taken on the mountain tops of many parts of Scotland by the Ptarmigan. Unlike the Black Game, the Red Grouse is strictly monogamous, each male pairing with one female only, and assisting her to rear the young. The nesting-season is, roughly speaking, April and May, but varies according to locality and season, eggs being sometimes found much earlier and as late as June, though the latter are probably second sittings, the first having been destroyed. ‘The female in her black-and-buff summer garb is practically invisible when sitting on her nest, her colours har- monising perfectly with her surroundings. As the young Grouse becomes strong on the wing and the season advances, the various coveys, especially if the weather is wet and stormy, soon unite their forces and go about in large flocks known as “packs,” the males and females generally form- ing separate parties ; and it is not uncommon to find that all THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 35 the birds killed in one drive are cocks, while on another beat the reverse obtains. Grouse-shooting commences on the 12th of August and ends on the roth of December. During this period enormous numbers of birds are shot, the great majority by driving. In Yorkshire and other parts of the north of England where the moors are of large extent and comparatively level, the birds pack so early in the season, and are then so wild, that driving them is the only means of obtaining a bag. From a sporting point of view, it is hardly necessary to add that the superiority of birds driven at a headlong pace over the guns, as compared with those walked up and shot as they rise, is beyond all question. On some of the rougher moors, when driving is im- possible or nearly so, one may still have the pleasure of seeing dogs used to find the birds, but unfortunately this form of sport is rapidly going out of fashion. In the west of Ross-shire, the Isle of Skye, and the Hebrides the tameness of the Grouse is well-known, and in fine weather the birds lie as close in December as at the beginning of the season, remaining in small coveys and often sitting till nearly trodden on. Grouse are extremely fond of grain, and during the autumn may generally be seen in the morning and evening in numbers on stubble- fields within reach of the moors they inhabit. Periodically the moors are devastated by a terrible scourge known as “ Grouse- disease,” which sometimes destroys the greater part of the stock in the localities affected. Itis now generally agreed that over-stocking is the primary cause, and the disease is almost always most severe in the springs which follow unusually good seasons, when birds have been particularly numerous and were not sufficiently killed down. The liver and intestines are the parts attacked, the former becoming like dull red jelly and of about the same consistency. Although parasitic worms are usually specially numerous in birds which have died of the disease, they are in no way the cause of death and are often numerous in perfectly healthy individuals. D 2 36 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. The Red Grouse occasionally interbreeds with the Black-cock (Lyrurus tetrix) and perhaps with the Ptarmigan (Z. mtus) but the supposed hybrids with the latter species are possibly merely partial albinos of the Red Grouse. Mr. J. G. Muillais records and figures a singular hybrid between this species and a Bantam Fowl! Nest.—A slight hollow in the ground, sheltered by the longer heather and grass, and lined with moss and grass or such materials as chance to be on the spot. Eges.—Vary in number from seven to ten and sometimes more. The ground colour is pale cream or buff, spotted and blotched all over with dark reddish-brown, which often nearly conceals the ground-colour. Average measurements, 1°75 by 1°32 inches. II. WILLOW GROUSE, OR RIPA. LAGOPUS LAGOPUS. Tetrao lagopus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 274 (1766). Tetrao albus, Gmel. S. N. 1. pt. ii. p. 750 (1788). Tetrao saliceti, ‘Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 208, 709 (1815) [ part]. Lagopus albus, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xi. p. 292 (1819) ; Dresser, B. Europe, v. p. 183, pls. 483, 484 (1874). Lagopus lagopus, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 69, pl. ii. figs. 5-10 (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 40 (1893). Adult Male and Female-—Outer tail-feathers black, with only the bases and tips more or less white; the flight-feathers a/ways white ; the tll much larger and stouter, like that of L. scottcus, and the wing about 8 inches in length from the bend to the tip of the flight-feather. Male: ‘Total length, 15°5 inches ; wing, 8'1; tail, 4°8 ; tarsus, 1s female: Total length, 15 inches; wing, 7°8 ; tail 4°3 ; tarsus, 1°35. THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 37 Range.—Circum-polar, inhabiting the Arctic tundras_ of Europe, Asia, and America. Adult Male and Female.—Winter Plumage.—Pure white, with the exception of the black outer tail-feathers, which remain un- changed. Adult Male.—Summer Plumage.—The head and neck chestnut, shading into dark chestnut, or sometimes even black on the chest ; rest of the upper-parts chestnut, mottled and barred with black, and often tipped with buff; flight-feathers and rest of under-parts white, as in winter. ‘This is the most com- plete form of summer plumage found in birds inhabiting the more temperate parts of the range; in those from high altitudes, all the upper-parts, from the back of the neck, remain white, merely interspersed here and there with a few feathers uf the summer plumage. Adult Female.—Summer Plumage.—Very similar to the female of the Red Grouse in breeding plumage, but the buff markings are paler and more conspicuous and the flight-feathers are zA7‘e. Unlike the male, the summer moult of the female, no matter the locality, is always complete, birds from the far north of Alaska being in quite as complete breeding-dress as those from more southern latitudes. Adult Male and Female.—Autumn Plumage.—Head, throat, and chest light brick or pale chestnut colour, usually with finely m_-ttled black cross-bars (in the female these parts are generally largely intermixed with the old summer feathers) ; the upper- parts are black, with narrow bars of rufous or rufous-buff. The flight-feathers, tail-feathers, and feathers of the feet are, as in other members of this genus, renewed at this season. Quite young birds have the first flight-feathers greyish-brown, mottled with buff at the tip and along the outer web. Habits.—These birds in every way resemble the Red Grouse. Their call is the same, and their eggs are indistinguishable, but they inhabit somewhat different ground, being chiefly found 38 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. among birch- and willow-trees, and, unlike the Grouse, they are fond of perching on trees, and prefer to roost in them. Note.—The Newfoundland bird is said to differ in having black shafts to the flight-feathers, and has been distinguished under the name of Lago- pus allenz, but specimens recently obtained from that island show that this difference is not constant, and of no importance. Black shafts to the pri- mary flight-feathers, usually accompanied by black on the adjacent parts of the web, are characteristic of younger birds in the first white winter plu- mage, but are sometimes to be seen in individuals which are certainly more than one year old. Nestling, Nest, and Eggs,—Like those of LZ. scoticus. III. THE COMMON PTARMIGAN. LAGOPUS MUTUS. Tetrao lagopus, Scop. (nec Linn.) Ann. 1. p. 118 (1769). Tetrao mutus, Montin, Phys. Salsk. Hand. if p. 155 (1776-86). Lagopus mutus, Leach, Syst. Cat. p. 27 (1816); Millais, Game Birds, pp. 63-72, pls. and woodcuts (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 45 (1893). Adult Male and Female at all seasons——Outer tail-feathers black, with only the bases and tips more or less white ; flight-feathers always white, bill much more slender than in the Red Grouse or Willow Grouse; wing shorter, males measuring about 7°5 inches from the bend of the wing to the end of the longest flight-feather. Adult Male and Female.—Winter Plumage.—General plumage and middle pair of tail-feathers white, with a black patch in front of the eye in the made, which is absent or rudimentary in the female. Adult Male.—Summer Plumage——Head, upper-parts, middle pair of tail-feathers, sides, and flanks dark brown, mottled and barred with grey and rusty ; breast brownish-black, sometimes more or less barred and mottled with buff; rest of under-parts white. Adult Female-——Summer Piumage.—General colour above black, mixed with rufous-buff, most of the feathers being edged with whitish-buff ; middle pair of tail-feathers and under-parts rufous- buff, barred with black. THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 39 Adult Male and Female—Autumn Plumage.—Upper-parts, middle pair of tail-feathers, breast, and sides grey, finely mottled with black, and sometimes with buff; rest of under-parts white. The female may generally be distinguished by having some feathers of the faded summer plumage remaining among the grey autumn plumage. Male: Total length, 14°5 inches ; wing, 7°6; tail, 4°6 ; tar- sus, I°3. Female: Total length, 14 inches; wing, 7°4; tail, 4°1; tar- ets, 1°3. Range.—The mountains of Europe, and possibly also some of the ranges of Central Asia, are the home of the Ptarmigan, but the birds found in the latter localities should, perhaps, be re- ferred to the more northern rufous form, Z. rafestris, which was the bird found by Mr. Seebohm on the Yenesei at 711%4° N. latitude. In the west it ranges to the mountains of Scotland, in the south to the Pyrenees and Alps, and in the east at least as far as the Ural Mountains. Changes of Plumage.—Mr. J. G. Millais, who has had excep- tional opportunities of studying the plumage of the Ptarmigan from different parts of Scotland, gives the following excellent account of the various changes during the year :— *¢ January.—The white plumage. “ February.—The same. (In very early spring the first summer-plumage feathers begin to appear, always on the neck.) “ March and April.rSummer plumage coming gradually in, the breast-feathers being the last to appear. “‘ May.—Summer plumage quite complete by the last week of the month. “«/une.—Summer plumage. Males generally showing white tips to feathers. ‘* /uly.—The white tips to the feathers of the back and breast in the male have now worn off the feathers, the breast 40 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. being very black and the whole plumage much darker, and in the female the whole plumage is more rusty and faded. During the last week of the month many of the blue-grey feathers of the autumn make their appearance, and the feathers moult from off the legs. This is the case with both cock and hen, but some specimens are far more advanced than others. “ August.—A complete change of both cock and hen to blue-grey plumage of the autumn, the whole being complete — about the 2zoth of this month. The hens sometimes retain a few of the faded summer-plumage feathers till the first week in September, most noticeably on the back and flanks. At the beginning of this month the head and neck are more or less dark, with a brown tinge in both sexes, but by the end of the month the whole bird has changed to a very much paler blue- grey, the black ribbings on the feathers becoming less distinct. At the end of the month the feet are covered with the new feathers, though these are short. “ September.—The fading of the feathers in both male and female continues throughout the month; the males exhibit a slight difference in the ground-colouring of the back-feathers, some retaining the brownish tinge and others a pure blue-grey. In the brown-tinged: birds the black markings on the feathers are always far less distinct than in the grey birds. “ October.—The plumage of both sexes still continues to fade, while the black markings become less and less distinct, till the middle of the month, when the first pure white feathers of the third moult make their appearance. ‘These first show on the back and flanks of the birds, and gradually increase, till by the end of the month both male and female have an equal propor- tion of both old and new feathers. The feet are by this time quite fully covered, the feathers having been gradually growing since the beginning of August. “ November.—A few of the old feathers of the autumn re- main on the back, and one or two on the head. ‘Thoseon the back kave, by the 15th of this month, become so pale that the THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN, 41 small black markings across them can hardly be discerned, but those on the head and neck do not fade much. At this season, most of the birds will have cast the last of these old feathers, and will stand complete in their new winter dress, in which they continue until the end of February. “* December.—The different plumages noted in the preceding month may be more or less normal, but during this month many birds, especially the cocks, retain throughout the winter a large amount of the autumn feathers on the back. One that I received on December 31st, 1890, from West Ross-shire, is figured (Z.c.) as an example of this stage, and may be taken asa typical specimen, though somewhat dark. In December the average of pure white birds is about one in four, but in severe winters they vary materially, and all the birds may be pure white.”— Game-Birds and Shooting-Sketches, pp. 69, 70 (1892). Habits—The home of the Ptarmigan is among the high stony table-lands and rocks above the limits of tree-growth and heaths. Like the Willow Grouse, the plumage of the male varies greatly in different localities, and the amount of white feathers retained during the summer and autumn plumages is greatly affected by the latitude which the birds inhabit, examples from the north of Norway retaining much white in the upper-parts throughout the summer months. ‘This does not apply to the females, all of which get their full summer breeding-dress, which is no doubt essential for their protection during the nesting-season. In the same way, the mixed plumage of the males no doubt renders them leSs conspicuous among the patches of snow which, in the more northern latitudes, are not melted during the short summer. ‘The general habits of the Ptarmigan re- semble those of the Grouse, their monogamous habits, mode of nesting and feeding, being much the same, but the call is very different from the “ bec” of the latter, and is more of a hoarse croak. The female is an excellent mother, taking the greatest care of her young, and boldly menacing any unex- pected intruder who may come on her unawares. She flutters 42 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. along the ground or runs towards her supposed enemy with drooping wings and halting gait to attract attention, while the young disappear as by magic, and vanish among the crevices of the stones. Ptarmigan depend greatly for safety on the per- fect harmony of their plumage with their natural surroundings, and it is astonishing to see how they will sometimes rise all round one, almost from under one’s feet, on comparatively bare ground, without any previous evidence of their presence. Nestling, Nest, and Eggs.—Similar to those of the Red Grouse, but the eggs of the latter are rather smaller, less thickly covered with blotches, and more buff in general appearance. IV. THE ROCK PTARMIGAN. LAGOPUS RUPESTRIS. Tetrao rupestris, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 751 (1788). Lagopus rupestris, Leach, Zool. Misc. ii. p. 290 (1817); Ben- dire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 75, pl. il. figs. 11-15 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 48 (1893). Lagopus rupestris reinhardti, p. 78; L. 7. nelsont, p. 80; L. r. atkhensis, p. 81; L. welchi, p. 82; Bendire, Life Hist. Ne Am. B..(13892): (Plate LV.) It appears to me: more and more doubtful whether this so-called species should be considered more than a mere climatic variety of the Ptarmigan. In typical examples, the summer and autumn plumages are certainly more rufous in birds from Iceland, Greenland, Arctic America, Japan, and Asia; but in Newfoundland we find a greyer form, apparently scarcely to be distinguished from the European bird, and similar forms are recorded from some of the islands to the north of Arctic America. Insufficient material pre- vents us at present from settling this point, but we believe that the most reasonable way of treating the matter is to regard all as climatic variations of one circum-polar species. It is obviously useless to give endless names to slight climatic varie- ties because they occur in different parts of the globe, when, me NVOTINUVLd MOO ‘AI dhw td THE WILLOW GROUSE AND PTARMIGAN. 43 unless one knows the locality whence each individual is ob- tained, it is practically impossible to name a specimen. Birds from Iceland, Arctic America, Japan, and North Asia are indis- tinguishable in summer and autumn, and those from Europe, Scotland, and, apparently, also from Newfoundland and some of the islands to the north of Arctic America are equally so, while examples from Greenland have the markings somewhat finer than in North American birds, though, like them, they be- long to the more rufous form. In the white winter plumage, all the forms are, of course, perfectly similar to one another. The reader must judge for himself which view of the matter is the most natural. He can regard the Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan as forming one widely distributed species with various climatic phases of grey or rufous plumage, which occur in scattered localities ; or he may consider each local form as representing an incipient sub-species or race, but, from all we at present know, the former view seems prefer- able. The mere fact that indistinguishable grey or rufous forms are found in intermediate localities over a very wide range, seems to show that only one polymorphic species really exists. Among many parallel instances we may mention the little Hemipode ( Zwrnzx ¢azgoor) found in India and the Indo- Chinese countries. V. THE SPITSBERGEN PTARMIGAN. LAGOPUS HYPERBOREUS. Lagopus alpina, var. hyperborea, Sundev. in Gaim. Voy. Scan- din. Atl. livr. xxxvili. pl. (1838). Lagopus hemileucurus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1858, p. 3543; Dresser, B= Hurope; v. p. 170, pl. 482 (1871). Lagopus hyperboreus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 51 (1893). Adult Male and Female-—This species may be easily distin- guished, at all seasons of the year, from the other Ptarmi- gan, by having much more white on the basal part of the tail- feathers. ‘The second pair has the basal two-thirds of both 44 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. webs white, and the outermost pair shows at least the basal two- thirds of the outer web white; on the median tail-feathers, the amount of white decreases, being confined to the basal third of the outer web in the seventh pair. Range.—Only known to occur in Spitsbergen. Habits—According to Mr. Abel Chapman, the cry of this bird differs from that of the Common Ptarmigan and resembles the “bec” of the Red and Willow Grouse, instead of the hoarse croak of the Ptarmigan. VI, THE WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. LAGOPUS LEUCURUS. Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus, Swains. and Richards. Faun. Bor.- Amer. ii. p. 356, pl. 63 (1831). Lagopus leucurus, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 83, pl. ii. figs. 16, 17 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii, — p. 52 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Distinguished from the allied species at all seasons by having the outer tail-feathers pure white, as well as by its smaller size. Male: Total length, 12:6 inches ; wing, 7°3 ; tail, 4°35 tar sus, I°2. te Female. Total Tength, 12-inches ; wing, 7°25 tail, 3:7¢rame sus, 1°4. Range.—Only met with towards the summits of the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska southwards to the north of New Mexico. Changes of Plumage.— Very similar to those of Z. mutus and L. rupestris, but the black markings on the swzmmer plumage of the ma/e are much bolder, and in winter the black mark in front of the eye is absevt. Hahits——The White-tailed Ptarmigan, Capt. Bendire tells us, is ‘a resident and breeds wherever found, rarely leaving the mountain summits, even during the severest winter weather, and then only descending 2,000 or 3,000 feet at most, seldom THE BLACK GROUSE. 45 being found at a lower altitude than 8,000 to 9,000 feet at any time.” In the Rocky Mountain region it is generally known by the very appropriate name of the “White” or ‘Snow ” *Quail. Grinnell writes: “On the high plateaux where this bird is found, the wind often blows with a tremendous sweep and is almost strong enough to throw down a man. When such a wind is blowing, the Ptarmigan dig out for themselves little nests or hollows in the snow-banks, in which they lie with their heads toward the wind and quite protected from it.” In general habits this species is very similar to the Common Ptarmigan, but apparently it is mostly found in small parties of about a dozen, and even in late autumn is rarely met with in packs. - Eggs.—Creamy-buff to pale reddish or salmon-buff; the markings, generally small and well-defined, varying in colour from reddish-brown to chocolate-brown. ‘They resemble far more the eggs of Dendragapus than Lagofus” (Bendre). Average measurements, 1°75 by 1°2 inches. TEE BUACK GROUSE. GENUS: LYRURUS. Lyrurus, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 497 (1831). Dype,-L.-rerrix (linn, ). Characterised by having the feet feathered, but, unlike Lagopus, the toes are naked and pectinate on the sides. The tail is composed of eighteen feathers, and in the male the outer pairs, which are much the longest, are curved outwards at the extremity. Only two species are known. I. THE BLACK GROUSE. LYRURUS TETRIX. mea dein, Linn. 5. N. 1. p. 274 (17606); Millais, Game- Birds, pp. 21-42, pls. and woodcuts (1892). Lyrurus tetrix, Swains. and Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 497 (1831); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 55 (1893). 46 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Adult Male——Plumage mostly black; the wader tazl-coverts pure white. Total length, 23'5 inches ; wing, 10°3 ; tail, 8°8; tarsus, I°9. Adult Female—Plumage mostly rufous and buff, barred with black, the black bars on the breast being much coarser than in the female of Z. mlokosiewiczt, and the tail shorter. Total length, 17 inches; wing, 8°9 ; tail, 4°5 ; tarsus, 1°6. Nestling—Covered with yellowish down, patterned with chestnut-brown on the upper-parts. Range-—The common Black Grouse is found in suitable localities over the greater part of Europe and Northern and Central Asia. To the west it extends to Great Britain, and to the east to North-east Siberia, while southwards it ranges to the Pyrenees, North Italy, North Ca‘acasus, the Tian Shan Mountains, and Peking. It is found as high as 69° N. lat. In some localities it is met with a little above the sea-level, while in Central Asia it ranges to 10,000 feet. Changes of Plumage.—During the heavy autumn moult, which takes place in July and August, when the males are entirely devoid of tails and generally incapable of flying more than a few yards at most, a temporary protective plumage, like that of the female, clothes the head and neck, and the throat becomes more or less white. ‘The object of this change is obvious, for the black head and neck of the male are con- spicuous objects among the heather and rushes, but the rufous- buff feathers, with their black bars and marks, harmonise per- fectly with these surroundings and enable the defenceless birds to escape the observation of their enemies. The barred feathers of the head and neck are not cast and replaced by black, till the rest of the plumage has been renewed, and the bird is once more able to fly. The young male, unlike the Caucasian Black Grouse, attains the black adult plumage at the first autumn moult, and by November resembles the old male, but some of the finely THE BLACK GROUSE. 47 mottled shoulder-feathers and inner flight-feathers of the first plumage are generally retained till the second season, and the outer tail-feathers are shorter and less beautifully curved. Females that have become barren from age or accident commonly assume the male plumage to a greater or less ex- tent, some examples having much black in the plumage and a very well-developed forked black tail, each feather being prettily edged with white. One peculiarity of these birds is the colour of the throat, which in the most fully plumaged examples is pure white. The only time when the throat of the male is white, or partially so, is during the short period when the temporary hen-like plumage covers the head and neck. At that season the throat becomes white or thickly spotted with that colour. No doubt this is the source whence the pure white throat of the barren female is derived. Habits.—Pine- and birch-forests are the true home of this bird, and though, when feeding, it may often be met with on the open moors or in the stubble-fields at a considerable dis- tance from any covert, it is truly a denizen of the woods, and passes the greater part of its existence on the branches, where, unlike the Red Grouse, it is perfectlyat home. Black Grouse, like other Game-Birds, are extremely partial to grain, and in some parts of Scotland, where they are still numerous, fre- quent the stubble-fields in enormous flocks, generally in the early morning and towards evening. ‘They are polygamous— that is to say, one male pairs with many females, and generally towards the end of March or beginning of April the pairing- season commences, when the cocks are in the habit of re- pairing at dawn and sunset to some particular spot to display their charms to the females and give battle to their rivals. The extraordinary pantomime gone through by each male as he struts round the arena, generally an open patch of ground worn nearly bare by constant traffic, is most entertaining to 48 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. observe. With drooping wings, outspread tail, and many other curious antics, accompanied by an occasional spring into the air, he attempts to secure the goodwill of the ladies, and when two birds meet, a slight skirmish, in which a few feathers are lost, takes place. Asa rule, no serious fights, such as one sees between Red Grouse, occur, merely a ‘‘round with the gloves,” to entertain the ladies of the harem ; but occasionally, when two old rivals chance to meet, a furious “‘set-to”” may be witnessed, the fight lasting till one or both birds are thoroughly exhausted, bleeding and torn. ‘These s!range entertainments last till the females—or “‘Grey-hens” as they are called—have laid all their eggs and commenced to sit, when the males are seen no more, the hatching of the eggs and rearing of the young being exclusively the task of the females. Hybrids between the Black-cock and female Capercailzie (so called Ze¢rao medius) are not uncommon, and it occasion- ally crosses with the Red Grouse, Willow Grouse, and more rarely with the Pheasant and Hazel-Hen. Nest.—A slight hollow in the ground, scratched out and with little lining ; usually well concealed. Eggs.—Generally six to ten in number. Buff spotted with rich brown. Average measurements, 2 inches by 1°4. Il. THE CAUCASIAN’ BLACK GROUSE. LYRURUS MLOKOSIEWICZI. Tetrao mlokostewiczi, Tacz. P. Z.S. 1875, p. 266, woodcuts; Dresser, B. Europe, v. p. 219, pl. 488 (1876). é Tetrao acatoptricus, Radde, Orn. Caucas. p. 358 (1884) ; id. ya. ©. 1865, \p..79- Lyrurus mlokosiewicz, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 58 (1893). Adult Male-—Plumage eztirve/y black, including the under tail- coverts. ‘Total length, 20 inches; wing, 8 ; tail, 8:2; tarsus, 2. Adult Female—Plumage mostly rufous and buff, barred with THE CAPERCAILZIES. 49 black, but the black bars and markings on the breast are much finer than in the female of JZ. ¢efrix, and the tail is longer. Total length, 16°6 inches; wing, 7°7; tail, 5°5 ; tarsus, 1°85. Range.—This species is only found in the Caucasian Moun- tains) Changes of Plumage-—The young males are peculiar in retain- ing a hen-like plumage throughout the first year, and probably till the second moult, thus differing entirely from the young males of Z. ¢e¢trix, which attain their black plumage at the first autumn moult, and by December closely resemble their male parent. THE CAPERCAILZIES. GENUS TETRAO. Leirao, Linite S.No 1) p:273 (£766): Type, Z. urogallus, Linn. The members of this genus are all birds of large size, and, like the Black Grouse, have the tail composed of eighteen feathers, but are distinguished by having the middle pair of feathers much longer than the outer pair, which produces a rounded or wedge-shaped appearance when the tail is spread. There are no elongate tufts of feathers on each side of the neck, nor inflatable air-sacs in the male, and the outer flight- feathers are not attenuated or sickle-shaped. I, THE CAPERCAILZIE. TETRAO UROGALLUS. Tetrao urogallus, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 273 (1766); Meyer, Unser Auer.-, Rackel- und Birkwild, &c. pp. 1-15, pls. 1-3 (1887) ; Millais, Game-Birds, pp. 1-20, pls. and woodcuts (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxil. p. 60 (1893). Adult Male—Above dark grey, shading into reddish-brown on the wings and finely mottled with black ; a raetallic green band across the chest, and the throat glossed with the same colour. Middle of the back not barred with black; the shoulder-feathers not tipped with white; and the breast and belly black, a few feathers in the middle being tipped with 0 E 50 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. white. Total length, 35 inches; wing, 14°6; tail, 12°3; tarsus, B73: 7 Adult Female-—Middle of the back rufous and buff, strongly barred with black; breast and belly buff or whitish-buff, barred with black; general colour of the plumage darker than in Z: wralensis, the white tips to the scapulars being narrower. Total length, 25 inches;/ wing, 11°75; tailjigege tarsus; 273% Younger males resemble the adult, but are smaller, and the white band across the tail is wanting. Nestling—Very similar to that of ZL. fetrix. Range.—The pine-forests of Europe and Northern and Cen- tral Asia, extending in the west to Scotland, in the east as far as Lake Baikal, and southwards to the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpa- thians, North-east Turkestan, and the Altai Mountains. Habits.—The Capercailzie is an inhabitant of the pine-forests, and spends the greater part of its time among the branches, feeding on the tender shoots of spruce and larch; but it is also extremely fond of various ground-fruits, in search of which it may not unfrequently be found in comparatively open country at a considerable distance from the fir-woods. Like other Game-Birds, it also shows a great partiality for grain, visiting the stubble-fields in fine weather. On the ground, the movements of Capercailzie are slow and dignified, and when wounded, being incapable of running at any great pace, they seldom move far from where they fall, usually seeking conceal- ment by hiding, at which, in spite of their size, they are great adepts. The weight of the old male averages from nine to twelve pounds, but, notwithstanding his bulk, the flight is easy and almost noiseless, though remarkably steady and rapid. It is astonishing how closely one of these great birds can glide past without its presence being detected, unless one happens to catch sight of it. The habits are somewhat similar to those of the Black Game, but the meeting-place of the males is THE CAPERCAILZIES. 51 generally some particular pine-tree known as the “ laking- place.” Here, in the month of April, the male may be seen at dawn and sunset, where, with outstretched neck, drooping wings, and tail erected and spread like a fan, he utters his “spel,” or love-song. ‘This consists of three notes, each being several times repeated, and towards the end of the song he works himself up into such a state of blind excitement that, careless of the surrounding objects, he heeds not the stealthy approach of the “‘sportsman,” who takes advantage of these moments of ecstacy, and gradually gets within shooting dis- tance. Thus on the Continent many a fine old cock is done to death, for only the older birds “spel,” the younger and weaker cocks being driven from the field. ‘Tremendous fights take place for the sovereignty of each harem, and both com- batants may sometimes be captured, having fought till they are so completely exhausted that they are unable to escape. The flesh of old birds has a strong flavour of turpentine, and, being extremely bitter, is unfit for the table, but young birds are often palatable enough, if properly cooked. Hybrids The female Capercailzie, as already mentioned, fre- quently crosses with the Black-cock, and the male hybrid is a remarkably handsome bird, with a fine purplish gloss on the breast and a forked tail, but the latter is much less curved than that of the male parent. The female hybrid is much more difficult to distinguish, and may easily be mistaken for a large Grey-hen or small female Capercailzie ; but there is an infal- lible means of distinguishing the three to be found in the com- parative length of the middle tail-feathers and under tail-coverts. In the Grey-hen the tail is forked, the outer feathers being much the longest, and the under tail-coverts extend considerably beyond the middle pair. The female Capercailzie has the tail rounded, the middle pair of feathers being much longer than the outer, and the under tail-coverts do not extend nearly to the end of the middle pair, while in the female hybrid the tail is nearly square, the feathers being all of about the same Hz 52 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. length, and the under tail-coverts are much shorter than the middle pair. These hybrids have many names, such as Tetrao hybridus, &c. The best work on the subject is Dr. A. B. Meyer’s volume quoted above. The Capercailzie has also been known to cross with the Pheasant and Willow Grouse. Nest and Eggs.—Very similar to those of the Black Grouse, but the eggs are somewhat larger than those of the latter bird. Average measurements, 2°2 by 1°6 inches. SUB-SP. @& THE URAL CAPERCAILZIE. TETRAO URALENSIS. Tetrao uralensts, Nazarov, Bull. Mosc. 1886, p. 365 ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 65 (1893). (Plate V.) Adult Male—Similar to Z. uwvogallus, but the mantle and back grey, finely mottled with black; wings and shoulder- feathers light reddish-brown, the latter not tipped with white ; general colour of the upper-parts much paler than in Z, urogallus ; breast and belly mostly white. Adult Female-—Mantle pale rufous and buff, strongly barred with black ; the breast and belly buff or whitish-buff, barred with black; and the general colour of the plumage paler than in Z. urvogallus, the white tips to the shoulder-feathers being much wider. Range-—The Ural Mountains. Although at first sight this splendid Capercailzie, by far the handsomest of the genus, appears to be remarkably distinct from typical examples of Z. wrogallus from Norway and Swe- den, I have examined numerous examples in intermediate stages of plumage between the dark Scandinavian bird and the light-coloured Ural form. ‘These intermediate birds come into the London market in considerable numbers, and are believed to be imported from some of the more southern URAL CAPERCAILZIE. THE CAPERCAILZIES. 53 provinces of Russia, but, so far, I have been unable to ascer- tain the exact locality whence they are obtained. It must be added that, though some of these intermediate birds have much white on the breast and belly, and are altogether lighter than Western European examples, the Ural birds are so very much paler, and show notrace of variation among themselves, that they may be fairly considered at present as representing a well-marked geographical sub-species, though most probably future investigations will show that they completely intergrade with typical western and eastern forms. II. THE SLENDER-BILLED CAPERCAILZIE. TETRAO PARVIROSTRIS. Tetrao urogalloides, Middend. (xec Nilss.*), Sibir. Reise, 11. pt. il. p. 195, pl. xviii. (1851); Elliot, Mon. Tetraon. pl. vi. (1865). Tetrao parvirostris, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 880 (1856) ; Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 66 (1893). Adult Male—Mantle brownish-black, not barred, and the shoulder-feathers less widely tipped with white, the white tips forming an interrupted line of white spots. ‘Total length, 35 inches ; wing, 15; tail, 14°38; tarsus, 2°7. Adult Female.— Mantle strongly barred with black ; the breast and belly black, barred with buff and tipped with white; and the white spots on the shoulder-feathers forming az interrupted line of white spots. Total length, 25 inches ; wing, 11°6; tail, We7> tarsus, 17. Range.—This species takes the place of 7. wrogallus in the pine-forests of the north east of Siberia to the east of Lake Baikal, and is also found in the island of Saghalien, but not in Kamtschatka. * This name was previously used by Nilsson for the hybrid between the Black Grouse and Capercailzie, 54 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY Ill. THE KAMTSCHATKAN CAPERCAILZIE. TETRAO KAMTSCHATICUS. Letrao kamtschaticus, Kittl. Reise Kamtschatka, 11. p. 353, woodcut (1858) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. Pp. 67 (1893). Adult Male—Like 7. farvirostris, but smaller ; mantle not barred with black ; shoulder-feathers broadly tipped with white, forming a continuous while band down each side of the back. Total length, 30 inches’; wing, 14:1; tail, 11°05 tarsus; 27 Adult Female-—Mantle strongly barred with black ; breast and belly black, barred with buff and tipped with white ; the white tips of the shoulder-feathers form a continuous white band, asin the male. Total length, 22 inches ; wing, 11°1 ; tail, 6°4 ; tar- Sus; 2; Range-—This species is only known to occur in Kamts- chatka, where it replaces 7. parvirosiris. THE CANADIAN GROUSE. GENUS CANACHIZES Canachites, Stejn. P. U.S. Nat. Mus. vill. p. 409 (1885). Type, C. canadensis (Linn.). Toes naked and pectinate on the sides; tail fairly long and rounded, composed of sixteen feathers, the outer pair being not much shorter than the middle pair; no elongate tufts of feathers on each side of the neck, and the outer flight-feathers not attenuated or sickle-shaped. This genus includes only two small North American species of about the size of the Common Partridge of Europe. I. THE CANADA GROUSE. CANACHITES CANADENSIS. Tetrao canadensis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 274 (1766) ; Audub. Orn. Biogr. ii. p. 437, pl. clxxvi. (1834); v. p. 563 (1839). Canace canadensis, Reichenb. Av. Syst. Nat. p. xxix. (1851); Elliot, Monogr. Tetraon. pl. ix. (1865). THE CANADIAN GROUSE. 55 Canachites canadensis, Stejn. P. U. S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 409 (1885); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 69 (1893). Dendragapus canadensis, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 51, pled. aes. 20-23 -(1892). Adult Male —General colour above black, barred with brown- ish-grey ; upper tail-coverts edged or tipped with g7vey; the tail with a well-marked terminal rufous band ; chin, throat, and most of under-parts black. ‘Total length, 15°5 inches; wing, Go + tail, 4°38; tarsus, 1°4. Adult Female. — May be distinguished from the male in having the chin and throat rufous, spotted with black ; the neck and chest black, barred with rust-colour, and the rest of the under- parts the same, but tipped with white. ‘Total length, 14:2 inches; wing, 6°8; tail, 4; tarsus, 1°4. Range-—This Grouse inhabits the northern parts of North America, ranging westwards to the east side of the Rocky Mountains, eastwards to New England and New York, north- wards to Alaska, and south to Minnesota. Habits——The favourite haunts of this handsome little species are dense thickets and evergreen woods. Its food consists largely of the tender spruce buds and needles, varied in summer with berries of various kinds. The pairing-season commences in the end of Aprii or early in May, the eggs being laid in the latter part of May or beginning of June. Unlike the Capercailzies and Black Grouse, these birds are monogamous, and there is good reason to believe that some retain their mates for more than one season, isolated pairs being often found together in the middle of winter. During the breeding-season the male has a peculiar habit of drumming, which has been described as follows: “After strutting back and forth for a few minutes, the male flew straight up as high as the surrounding trees, about fourteen feet; here he remained stationary an instant, and while on suspended wing did the 56 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISFORY. drumming with the wings, resembling distant thunder, mean- while dropping down slowly to the spot from whence he started, to repeat the same thing over and over again.” Capt. Bendire gives another description of the drumming: ‘The Canada Grouse performs its ‘drumming’ upon the trunk of a standing tree of rather small size, preferably one that is inclined from the perpendicular, and in the following manner. Commencing near the base of the tree selected, the bird flutters upward with somewhat slow progress, but rapidly beating wings, which pro- duce the drumming sound. Having thus ascended fifteen or twenty feet, it glides quietly on wing to the ground and repeats the manceuvre. Favourite places are resorted to habitually, and these ‘drumming trees’ are well-known to observant woods- men. I have seen one so well worn upon the bark as to lead to the belief that it had been used for this purpose for many years.” Eggs.—Seven to thirteen, sometimes more. Similar to those of LZ. ¢e¢rix, but smaller, and the ground-colour sometimes red- dish-buff; the markings, also, are generally heavier, some of the spots being confluent and forming blotches. Average measurements, 1°75 inch by 1°25. II. FRANKLIN’S GROUSE. CANACHITES FRANKLINI. Tetrao frankiint, Dougl. Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 139 (1829); Swains. and Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 348, pl. 1xi. (een): Canace franklini, Elliot, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1864, p. 23; id. Monogr. Tetraon. pl. x. (1865). Dendragapus franklinit, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 56 (1892). Canachites franklinit, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p- 71 (1893). Adult Male—Like the male of C. crwadensis, but the upper tail-coverts tipped with white ; no terminal rufous band to the tail; chin and throat black, THE SHARP-WINGED GROUSE. 57 Adult Female.— Distinguished by having the chin and throat rufous, spotted with black. Range——The west side of the northern Rocky Mountains, extending westwards to the coast ranges. Habits—The habits of this species are apparently very sim1- lar to those of the Canada Grouse, which it replaces to the west of the Rocky Mountains. It is found in the almost inpene- trable and densely-timbered mountain ranges, generally, at an altitude of from 5,000 to 9,000 feet, in the neighbourhood of running water or swampy valleys. It is said to be a remark- ably fearless and stupid bird, frequently allowing itself to be knocked off the trees with sticks or stones, and it is often caught by hand. THE SHARP-WINGED GROUSE. GENUS FALCIPENNIS. Falcipennis, Elliot, P. Ac. Philad. 1864, p. 23. Type, & falcipennis (Hartl.). Toes naked and pectinate along the sides. ‘Tail moderately long and rounded, composed of sixteen feathers. Zhe outer tight-feathers attenuated and sickle-shaped. I. THE SHARP-WINGED GROUSE. FALCIPENNIS FALCIPENNIS. Tetrao falcipennis, Hartl. J. f. O. 1855, p. 39. Falcipennis hartlaubt, Eliot, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1864, p. 233 id. Monogr. Tetraon. pl. xi. (1865). Falcipennis falcipennis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 72 (1893). Adult Male.— Chest uniform smoky-black. ‘Total length, 16°3 menes; wing, 7°2; tail, 4°7; tarsus, 1-4. Adult Female——Chest black, barred with buff. Total length, maz inches; wing, 7-2; tail, 4°3 ; tarsus, 1°4. Range.—North-eastern Siberia, Kamtschatka, and Saghalien Island. In general appearance and size this species resembles the 58 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Canada Grouse (C. canadensis), and may be regarded as the representative form of that species in the Old World. THE AMERICAN CAPERCAILZIES. GENUS DENDRAGAPUS.. Dentragapus, Elliot, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1864, p. 23. Type, D. obscurus (Say). Toes naked and pectinate along the sides. ‘Tail long, com- posed of twenty feathers sub-equal in length. The male is provided with az znflatable air-sac on each side of the neck, but there are no elongate tufts of feathers, nor are the outer flight- feathers attenuated or sickie-shaped. This genus includes three rather large forms, about the size of a Black Grouse, but, unlike these birds and the True Caper- cailzies, the American Capercailzie seems to pair with one female only. I. DUSKY CAPERCAILZIE. DENDRAGAPUS OBSCURUS. Tetrao obscurus, Say, in Long’s Exped. Rocky Mts. ii. p. 14 (1823); Bonap. Amer. Orn. in. p. 27, pl. xvi (eee Dendragapus obscurus, Elliot, Proc. Acad. Philad. 1864, p. 23, and Monogr. Tetraon. pl. vil. (1865) ; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 41 (1892) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. esp. 7A (TeOs). Adult Male.—General colour above smoky-black, mixed with brownish-buff, below grey; chest and breast wot barred and marked with buff ; tail somewhat rounded, with a wide terminal grey band varying in width onthe mzdd/e feathers from 1 to 1°5 inch. Total length, 19°5 inches ; wing, 10; tail, 6°7 ; tarsus, Rij. Adult Female-—Chest and breast barred and marked with buff ; tail with a wide grey terminal band, about o°8 inch in width, on the owéermost feathers. Total length, 17 inches; Wig eias tall. 5°O > tarsus, 1/6; THE AMERICAN CAPERCAILZIES. 59 Range.—Southern Rocky Mountains, extending in the west to Wahsatch, in the south to New Mexico and Arizona, and north to the South Pass. In South-eastern Idaho the Dusky Capercailzie is said to intergrade with the darker and more northern form, JD. fuliginosis. Habits—This and the two allied forms are perhaps the finest, and, with the exception of the Sage Cock, the largest of the American Grouse. In the males of all three the general colour of the plumage is smoky-black, and hence the present species is often known as “ Blue Grouse” as well as “Pine Grouse” and ‘Pine Hen.” From Mr. Gale’s interesting notes published in Captain Bendire’s excellent work, “ Life Histories of North American Birds,” so often alluded to in these pages, the following account is taken: “ Here in Colorado the Dusky Grouse ranges from an altitude of about 7,000 feet to the timber-line. Having once selected a place to raise a brood they do not stray far from the neighbourhood. Water at no great distance is always kept in view. The lower gulches and side hills are mostly chosen for their summer homes. During the mating-season, if you are asywhere near the haunts of a pair, you will surely hear the male and most likely see him. He may interview you on foot, strutting along before you, in short hurried tacks alternating from right to left, with wide- spread tail tipped forward, head drawn in and back, and wings dragging along the ground, much in the style of a Turkey- gobbler. At other times you may hear his mimic thunder overhead again and again, in his flight from tree to tree. As you walk along, he leads, and this reconnoitring on his part, if you are not familiar with it, may cause you to suppose that the trees are alive with these Grouse. He then takes his stand upon a rock, stump, or log, and, in the manner already de- scribed, distends the lower part of his neck, opens his frill of white, edged with the darker feather tips, showing in the centre a pink narrow line describing somewhat the segment of a circle, 6o LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. then with very little apparent motion he performs his growling or groaning, I don’t know which to call it, having the strange peculiarity of seeming quite distant when quite near, and near when distant, in fact appearing to come from every direction but the true one. . . . As near as I can judge by meeting with the young broods, these birds nest at the lowest points about May 15, at the highest about the beginning of June. The number of chicks seen by me in a brood ranged from three to eight. . . . In a single instance only, with a brood about ten days old, have I noticed the presence of both parents. Perched upon a fallen tree, the male seemed to be on the look-out, while the female and young were feeding close by. ‘This seeming indifference of the male while the brood is very young, allowing his mate to protect them, if he really is always near at hand, looks very strange, and yet it may be the case, since he is generally with the covey when the young are well-grown.” Egzs,—Pale cream-colour to creamy-buff, equally marked all over with rather small rounded spots and dots of chestnut brown. Average measurements, 1°9 by 1°4 inch. SUB-SP. @. THE SOOTY CAPERCAILZIE. DENDRAGAPUS FULIGINOSUS. Canace obscurus, var. fuliginosus, Baird, Brewer and Ridgw. N. Amer. B. iii. p. 425 (1874). Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Bop. 43) plat. igs. 16-19 (i802). Dendragapus fuliginosus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Sxl p75) (1593): Adult Male.—Distinguished from D. odscurus by having the grey band across the tip of the tail narrower, /ess than an tnch wide on the middle feathers, and by the somewhat darker and more uniform plumage, with much fewer buff markings on the upper-parts, especially on the wing-coverts. Adult Female-—Can only be recognised from the female of THE PINNATED GROUSE. 61 D. obscurus by the narrower grey band across the end of the tail. This is mere!y a sub-species or race of the Dusky Capercailzie. Range.— North-western Rocky Mountains near the Pacific Coast, from California to Sitka and Alaska. II. RICHARDSON’S CAPERCAILZIE. DENDRAGAPUS RICHARDSONI. Tetrao richardsonit, Dougl. Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 140 (1829); Wilson, Illustr. Zool. pls. xxx. xxxi. (1831). Dendragapus richardsont, Elliot, Monogr. Tetraon. pl. viii. (1865); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 76 (1893). Dendragapus obscurus richardsonit, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Bap 50 (19892). Adult Male—Easily recognised from the two forms pre- viously mentioned by having the tail wxzform black, without a grey band across the extremity. The tail is also squarer in shape, the outer feathers being slightly longer than the middle pair. Adult Female—Resembles the females of the Dusky and Sooty Capercailzie, but has no grey band across the tail, though the feathers are usually margined with grey at the tip. Range.—Eastern slopes of the northern Rocky Mountains, from Montana northwards into British America. In Northern Wyoming and the eastern parts of Central Idaho this species is said to intergrade with D. obscurus, and in North-eastern Idaho and Western Montana with D. fudz. g£inosus. THE PINNATED GROUSE. GENUS TYMPANUCHUS. Tympanuchus, Glog. Hand. u. Hilfsb. p. 396 (1842). Type, Z. cupido (Linn.). Toes naked and pectinate along the sides. Tail rather short and rounded and composed of eighteen feathers, the outer pair about two-thirds the length of the middle pair. 62 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. The males have az elongated tuft of feathers and an inflatable air-sac on each side of the neck. I. THE PRAIRIE HEN. TYMPANUCHUS AMERICANUS. Cupidonia americana, Reichenb. Av. Syst. Nat. p. xxix. (1852). Tetrao cupido, Wils. (nec Linn.), Am. Orn. ili. p. 104, pl. 27, fe -Ts( TOLT). Cupidonia cupido, Baird (nec Linn.), B. N. Amer. p. 628 (1860) [part]; Elliot, Monogr. Tetraon. pl. xvi. (1865). Tympanuchus americanus, Ridgw. Auk. iii. p. 132 (1886) ; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 83 (1892); Ogilvie Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 78 (1893). Adult Male.—Above barred with rufous- or brownish-buff and black ; below barred with brownish-black and white. Feathers of the neck-tufts much produced, about 3 inches in length, the longer ones being parallel-edged, with rounded or truncate ex- tremities; chest-feathers white, with /wo brown bars as wide as the white interspaces ; outer tail-feathers black, narrowly tipped with white. Total length, 16°5 inches; wing, 9; tail, 3°93 tarsus, I°9. Adult Female.—Differs in having the neck-tufts short; the outer tail-feathers barred with rufous-buff. Measurements usually a trifle less than those of the male. Range.—This species inhabits the prairies of the Mississippi Valley, extending northwards to southern Manitoba and Wis- consin, south to Louisiania and Texas, east to Indiana, Ken- tucky, and North-western Ohio, and west to Indian Territory, Kansas, Nebraska, and Dakota. Habits.—This species is a resident throughout the greater part of its range, but it seems that in Iowa a regular though local migration takes place. As soon as severe weather sets in, large flocks of these birds leave the northern prairies and go south to winter in Northern Missouri and Southern Iowa, the migration varying in bulk with THE PINNATED GROUSE. 63 the severity of the winter. The curious feature of this migra- tion is, that only the females are believed to change their quarters. Writing from Minnesota, Mr. Miller says: “The females in this latitude migrate south in the fall and come back in spring, about one or two days after the first Ducks, and they keep coming in flocks of from ten to thirty for about three days, all flying north. The Grouse that stay all the winter are males.” Captain Bendire publishes the following amusing and interesting account of the love-making of this species: ‘‘ Early in the morning you may see them assemble in parties, from a dozen to fifty together, on some high dry knolls, where the grass is short, and their goings on would make you laugh. The cock birds have a loose patch of naked yellow skin on each side of the neck just below the head, and above these on either side, just where the head joins the neck, are a few long black feathers, which ordinarily lay backward on the neck, but which, when excited, they can pitch straight forward. Those yellow naked patches on either side of the neck cover sacs which they can blow up like a bladder whenever they choose. These are their ornaments, which they display to the best advantage before the gentler sex at these love-feasts. This they do by blowing up these air-sacs till they look like two ripe oranges, on cach side of the neck, projecting their long black ears right forward, ruffling up all the feathers of the body till they stand out straight, and dropping their wings on the ground Mise a Turkey cock. . . “Then it is that the proud cock, in order to complete his triumph, will rush forward at its best speed for two or three rods through the midst of the love-sick damsels, pouring out as he goes a booming noise, almost a hoarse roar, only more subdued, which may be heard for at least two miles in the still morning air. This heavy booming sound is by no means harsh or unpleasant, on the contrary it is soft and even har- monious, When standing in the open prairie at early dawn 54 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. listening to hundreds of different voices, pitched on different keys, coming from every direction and from various distances, the listener is rather soothed than excited. If this sound is heavier than the deep key-notes of a large organ, it is much softer, though vastly more powerful, and may be heard at a much greater distance. One who has heard such a concert can never after mistake or forget it. “Every few minutes this display is repeated. I have seen not only one, but more than twenty cocks going through this funny operation at once, but then they seem careful not to run against each other, for they have not yet got to the fighting point. After a little while the lady birds begin to show an interest in the proceedings, by moving about quickly a few yards at a time, and then standing still a short time. When these actions are continued by a large number of birds at a time, it presents a funny sight, and you can easily think they are moving to the measure of music. “The party breaks up whe’ the sun is half an hour high, to be repeated the next morning and every morning for a week or two before all make satisfactory matches. It is toward the latter part of the love-season that the fighting takes place among the cocks, probably by two who have fallen in love with the same sweetheart, whose modesty prevents her from selecting between them.” According to Bendire, immense numbers of nests of this species ‘“‘are annually destroyed, either by fire in dry seasons, or water during wet ones. : On the prairies they generally select unburnt places to nest in, where the old grass is thick ; others prefer the borders of large marshes, where, during a wet season, they are almost certain to be destroyed by water.” Many nests and eggs are also yearly ploughed up, as cultivated fields and meadows are often selected. Nest.—A slight excavation in the ground, generally without any lining, but sometimes lined when materials are available, THE PINNATED GROUSE. 65 Eggs.—Eleven to fourteen in number, or even more. Ground- colour pale buff, olive-buff, or vinaceous, with very small, sometimes obsolete, dots of chestnut-browns Il. THE HEATH HEN. TYMPANUCHUS CUPIDO. Tetrao cupido, Linn. 5. N. i. p. 274 (1766). Cupidonia cupido, Brewst. Auk. ii. p. 82 (1885). Tympanuchus cupido, Ridgw. P. U.S. Nat. Mus. viii. p. 355 285) bendire, Lite-Hist.-N. Am. B. p..935(16ae))- Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 77 (1893). Adult Male.— Similar to the foregoing species, but with fewer feathers in the neck-tufts ; ‘he Zonger ones lanceolate and potnted. Adult Female——Resembles the female of 7. americanus. This species is a smaller form, very closely allied to the Prairie Hen, but the male may apparently be distinguished by the above-mentioned characters. Range.—Island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. It was formerly also found in Eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, according to American records, but is now extinct in these localities, Habits.—The habits of this bird are somewhat different from those of its western ally, for it is a woodland species, only met with in the scrubby tracts of oak, and feeding largely on acorns, though it may occasionally be seen in the open picking up erain and clover-leaves. ‘The area inhabited by the remaining colony of these birds covers about forty square miles, and over this extremely limited range they are comparatively numerous, being now strictly protected by law. Ill. THE LESSER PRAIRIE HEN. TYMPANUCHUS PALLIDICINCTUS. Cupidonia cupido, var. pallidicinctus, Ridgw. in Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. N. Amer. B. iii. p. 446 (1874), 9 F 66 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Tympanuchis pallidicinctus, Ridgw. P. U.S. Nat. Mus. viii. | Pp. 355 (1885); Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p; 96 (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 80 (1893). Adult Male.—Distinguished by the longer feathers of the neck-tufts, these being paralleledged and square-tipped ; chest- feathers white, with ‘ree brown bars, narrower than the white interspaces. ‘Total length,.15 inches; wing, 8-3; tail, 379m tarsus, 1°6. Adult Female-—Differs from the ma/e in having the neck- tufts much shorter, and, as in the female of Z. americanus, the outer tail-feathers are barred with buff. Measurements a trifle less than those of the male. Range.—South-western Kansas, Western Indian Territory, Western, and probably Southern, Texas. The range of this smaller and paler-coloured species is still imperfectly known, but its nesting habits appear to be very similar to those of 7. americanus. THE SAGE GROUSE. GENUS CENTROCEREGUS: Centrocercus, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. PP. 342, 496 (1831). Type, C. urophasianus (Bonap.). Toes naked and pectinate along the sides; tail long and Pheasant-like, composed of twenty wedge-shaped pointed fea- thers, the outer pair being less than two-thirds the length of the middle pair. ‘The males havean inflatable air-sac on each side of the neck. Only on> species is known. I. THE SAGE GROUSE. CENTROCERCUS UROPHASIANUS. Tetrao urophasianus, Bonap. Zool. Journ. ui. p. 213 (1828); id. Amer. Orn. 1i.p..%5, plo. figs 1 (1828): Tetrao (Centrocercus) urophastanus, Swains. & Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amér. ii. p. 358, pl. 58 (1831). TA aLVTd vcaae THE SAGE GROUSE. 67 Centrocercus urophasianus, Jard. Nat. Libr. Orn. iv. p. 140 pl. xvii. (1834) ; Elliot, Monogr. Tetraon. pl. xiii. (1865). ipendire, Lite Gust. N..Am. B. p.-106, pl. iii. figs. 11-12 (1892); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B.. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 8: (1893). (Plate VI.) Adult Male——General colour above blackish, marked and mot tled with buff; breast and belly mostly black; the chin and throat white, spotted with black ; otherwise very similar to the female, though much larger, attaining a weight of eight pounds. ‘otal length, 28 inches ; wing, 12°5; tail, 12 ; tarsus, 2°2. Adult Female.—Has the chin and throat white, and is much smaller, rarely weighing more than five pounds. ‘Total length, Benches ; wing, 10°8 ; tail, 6°5; tarsus, 1°o. Range-—The sage-brush plains of the Rocky Mountain plateau, extending northwards to British America and south to New Mexico, South California, Utah, and Nevada. The Sage Grouse is the largest species of its kind found in the New World, and is generally resident in those States where it occurs, but, like the Prairie Hen, it is also partially migratory in some parts of its range. As its name implies, this bird is seldom found far from the tracts of sage-brush (Artemisia), the leaves of which form its principal food, at least during the winter. As Captain Bendire explains, though the Grouse breed abundantly on the higher altitudes of about 6, bird flies off, leaving him a quarter of a mile or more from the nest. “Tf, instead of eggs, the Partridge has chicks, she does not await the coming of the enemy, but runs to meet and mislead him ere yet he is in the neighbourhood of the brood; she then leads him far away, and, returning by a circuitous route, 74 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. gathers her young together again by her clucking. When sur- prised, she utters a well-known danger-signal—a peculiar whine —whereupon the young ones hide under logs and among grass. ‘The males never congregate during the breeding-season or after, and I never but once saw two adult males within one- fourth of a mile of each other between April and September. I consider that the drumming is not a call to the female, as they drum nearly or quite as much in the fall as in the spring, and I have heard them drumming every month in the year. I have never seen the least evidence that the Ruffed Grouse is polygamous.” Eggs.—Eight to fourteen is the general number laid; some- times considerably more are found in anest. Milky-white and pale buff to pinkish-buff; more or less spotted, but not heavily, with rounded spots and dots of paler reddish-brown. THE HAZEL-HENS. GENUS TETRASTES. Tetrastes, Keys. und Blas. Wirbelth. Eur. pp. lxiv. 109, 200 (1840.) Type, Z. donasia (Linn.). Feet only partially feathered, the lower part being entirely naked ; toes naked and pectinate along the sides; tail com- posed of sixteen feathers, fairly long and bluntly wedge-shaped, | the outer feathers being very little shorter than the middle pair. Sexes different. No ruffled frill of fan-shaped feathers on the sides of the neck. I. THE HAZEL-HEN. TETRASTES BONASIA. Hazel-Hen, Willoughby, Orn. p. 126, pl. 31 (1676); Lloyd, Game B. Swed. and Norw. p. 112, pl. (1867). Tetrao bonasta, Linn. S. N. i. p. 275 (1766) ; Sundey. Svensk Fogl. pl. xxxiil. figs. 4-5 (1856). Tetrao betulinus, Scop. Ann. i. p. 119, No. 172 (1769). Lonasta sylvestris, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 514 (1831); Elliot, Monogr. Tetraon. pl. iv. (1865). THE HAZEL-HENS. 75 Tetrastes bonasia, Keys. und Blas. Wirbelth. p. 200 (1840) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. go (1893). Bonasa betulina, Dresser, B. Europe, v. p. 193, pl. 486 (1871). Adult Male-—General colour above greyish or rufous, barred on the head and back with black ; feathers of the breast black, margined with white, and sometimes with a white spot in the middle ; chin and throat black. Total length, 14 inches ; wing, m5; tail, 4:9; tarsus, 1°3: Adult Female.—Differs from the male in having the chin and throat mostly white, and in being rather smaller. Range.— Europe and North and Central Asia; extending in the west to Scandinavia, in the east to Kamtschatka, Saghalien and Yezo, Japan, and southwards to N. Spain, N. Italy, Tran- sylvania, the Altai Mountains, and N. China. Habits.—This remarkably handsome Grouse, also known as the ‘‘ Hazel Grouse” or ‘“Gelinotte” (Hjerpe, Sw. and Norw.), is scarcely larger than the Common Partridge. It inhabits the lower pine-forests, birch-woods, and hazel-copses, being every- where a local bird and generally confined to the wilder mountainous districts. As an article of food it is very highly esteemed, its white flesh, even after it has been frozen, being most delicious. Von Wright says that ‘the Finns entertain the very singular notion that, at the creation, this bird was the largest of the feathered tribe ; but that year by year it has de- creased in size, and will continue to do so until at last it will become so very diminutive as to be able to fly through the eye of a needle ; and when that happens the world will come to an end.” Mr. Lloyd, in his ‘Game Birds and Wild Fowl of Sweden and Norway,” gives the following account :—“ The flight of the Hazel-Hen is very noisy, but short withal, seldom extending beyond a couple of hundred yards. During both summer and winter it is mostly on the ground, but, when flushed, invariably takes refuge in a tree, rarely on its top, however, as some tell 76 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. us, but generally about half way up, and amongst the most leatyroithe branches. . ... ee “The favourite haunts of the Hazel-Hen are hilly and wooded districts. In the open country it is never found, but somewhat varies its ground according to the season of the year. During summer and autumn one often observes these birds in young woods consisting chiefly of deciduous trees; but when the leaves begin to fall, they retire to the great pine-forests, for the reason, as some suppose, that they may be less exposed to pee-ariacks of birds of prey. <. a. +.) stage ‘The pairing-season usually commences at the end of March or beginning of April, though the time is somewhat dependent on the state of the weather. ‘The sexes attract each other by a peculiar and almost melancholy cry ; that of the male consisting of along-drawn whistle, followed by a chirp: @ hih tititi-ti ; whilst that of the female 1s more simple, being often only a single sustained #2, vibrating or quivering towards its termi- C0000 ei “The chicks are hatched about midsummer, and in the course of a very few days, and when they are only feathered on the wings and tail, begin to fly.” After describing the various methods employed in Scan- dinavia for shooting these birds he says :—‘‘ The usual way, however, of shooting the Hazel-Hen is without any dog, and solely with the aid of the so-called Hjerp-pipa, or pipe. ‘This implement, which is much less in size that one’s finger, and constructed of wood or metal, or it may be the wing-bone of a Black-cock, emits a soft whistling sound, that can be varied according to the call-note of the bird. Such a pipe is readily manufactured. Often, indeed, when we have accidently met with a Hazel-Hen, has my man with his knife alone made one out of a sapling of some pithy tree, and that in the course of averyiewmunutes. . . . : “The nuinber of Hazel-Hens annually taken in Scandinavia is something enormous. Brunius, in his ‘‘ Hand Lexicon,” pub- THE HAZEL-HENS. i lished in 1798, calculated that 60,000 were yearly consumed in Stockholm, and 40,000 more in other parts of the country. At the present day that number is, beyond doubt, very greatly ex- ceeded.” - Nest.—A small cavity scratched in the ground. Eggs.— Eight to twelve in number. Pale buff, spotted with brown. II, THE GREY-BELLIED HAZEL-HEN, TETRASTES GRISFIVENTRIS. Tetrastes grisetventris, Menzb. Bull. Mosc. lv. pt. i. p. 105, pl. iv. (1880) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 93 (1893). Adult Male.—FTeathers of the breast sandy-grey, with narrow black bars; chin white; the throat black, tipped with dark rufous ; the chest reddish-black, barred and tipped with grey. Total length, 14 inches; wing, 6°5 ; tail, 4°7 ; tarsus, 1°3. Adult Female— Differs in having the chin white; the throat black, tipped with buff; the chest black, irregularly barred with rufous and tipped with grey. Slightly smaller than the male. Range.— Eastern Russia ; Government of Perm. Nothing is known of the habits of this perfectly distinct spectes, considered by some Russian ornithologists to be merely a variety of the Common Hazel-Hen. WII. SEVERTZOV’S HAZEL-HEN. TETRASTES SEVERTZOVIL Tetrastes severtzovt, Prjev. Mongolia, 11. p. 130, pl. xvili. (1876); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 93 (1893). Adult Male.—Teathers of the breast black, barred and tipped with white ; outer tail-feathers black, barred with white; chin and throat black. Total length, 13°5 inches ; wing, 6°7 ; tail, Bog, tarsus, 175. Adult Female-—Differs chiefly in having the chin and throat buff, tipped with black. Range.—North-eastern Central Asia ; Kansu, Koko-nor, and the Hoangho River, 78 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. The habits of this species appear to be very similar to those of the Common Hazel-Hen. THE PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, AND PHEASANTS: FAMILY PHASIANID:. Distinguished by having the hind-toe raised above the level of the other toes. The nostrils are never hidden by feathers. | The feet (metatarsi) are partially or wholly naked and often armed with spurs. The toes are always naked and never pectinate along the sides, the horny appendages so character- istic of the Bare-toed Grouse being invariably absent. For convenience’ sake this great Family may be divided into the Sub-families Perdicine, Phasianine, and Odontophorine, the first containing the Old World Partridge-like genera, the second the Pheasants and their allies, the Turkeys and Guinea Fowls, and the third the American Partridges and Quails. There appears, however, to be no real line of demarcation between the first two groups, which merge gradually into one another through such forms as the Bamboo Partridges (Bambusicola) and the African and Indian Spur-Fowl (Piz/opachys and Gadlloperdix). The shape of the wing is perhaps the most important dis- tinguishing mark between the Old World Partridges and Pheasants, and, when taken in connection with the length of the tail, is a useful, if somewhat artificial character. In all the Perdicine, with but very few exceptions, the first flight- feather is equal to or longer than the tenth, while all the Phasianine, with the exception of one genus, have the first flight-feather much shorter than the tenth. Unfortunately, the exception among the latt.r is the important genus Phasianus, which has the first flight-feather like that of most Old World Partridges, much longer than the tenth, and, were it not for the long tail, which at once shows it to be a Pheasant, one would certainly feel inclined to place it among the Perdicing. THE SNOW PARTRIDGES. 79 By using the combined characters of the shape o. the wing and length of the tail, one can artificially separate the two groups, and when a large number of genera have to be dealt with, such divisions, though of no real scientific importance, are at least extremely useful in facilitating the identification of individuals. The Perdicine may be characterised as follows :— OLED-WORLD PARTRIDGES AND QUAILS. SUB-FAMILY PERDICINA. The cutting-edge of the lower mandible is not serrated. The first flight-feather is equal to or longer than the tenth,* and the tail is shorter, usually much shorter, than the wing. The sides of the head are feathered, with or without a naked space sur- rounding the eye. The most extreme form of the “ Partridge” wing is found in the Snow Partridge (Zerwa) and the Quails (Coturnix and Synecus), where the first flight-feather is very little shorter than, or sometimes equal to, the second and third, which form the point of the wing. The extreme form of “ Pheasant” wing obtains in the Argus Pheasants (Argustanus), where the first flight-feather is the shortest and the tenth the longest. fie SNOW -PARTRIDGES.” GENUS LERWA: Lerwa, Hodgs. Madr. Journ. v. p. 300 (1837); id. Journ. As. BOeMBeEng. XXiv. p. 580 (1855). Type, Z. deriva (Hodgs.). The upper half of the feet (metatarsi) covered with feathers as in the Hazel Grouse. ‘Tail about four-sevenths of the length of the wing, rounded, and composed of fourteen feathers. The first flightfeather equal to the third, and only slightly shorter * In one or two of the Francolins it is slightly shorter ; but the short tail at once distinguishes them as Perdicina, 80 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. than the second and longest. Sexes similar in plumage, but the male is armed with a stout spur on each leg. Only one species is known. I. THE SNOW PARTRIDGE. LERWA LERWA. Perdix lerwa, Hodgs. P. Z. S. 1833, p. 107. Lerwa nivicola, Hodgs. Madr. Journ. v. p. 301 (1837) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, il. p. 1, pl. (1879). Lerwa l/erwa, Uartert, Kat. Mus. Senckenb. p. 195 (1891) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 100 (1893). Adult Male and Female—Upper-parts black, narrowly barred with whitish ; under-parts mostly rich chestnut. Bull and feet red. Total length, 14 inches ; wing, 7°5 ; tail, 4°5; tarsus, 1°7. Range.—The higher ranges of the Himalayas, and extending northwards to Moupin and Western Sze-chuen, China. Habits—This handsome Alpine Partridge is about the size of a Red Grouse, which species it resembles in its strong rapid flight, and in the excellence of its flesh for the table. Mr. Wilson says: “In general haunts and habits, this bird much resembles the Snow Pheasant (Ze¢raogadlus), frequenting the same high regions near the snow in summer, and migrating to the same bare hills and rocks in winter. The Pheasant, how- ever, prefers the grassy slopes and softer parts of the hills, the - Partridge the more abrupt and rocky portions, where the vege- tation is scantier, and more of a mossy than a grassy character. They are also more local, and confined to particular spots, and do not, like the Pheasant, ramble indiscriminately over almost every part of the hill. “They are generally remarkably tame. When approached, they utter a harsh whistle, and if they keep still, it is often several moments before they can be distinguished, their plu- mage much resembling and blending with the general colour of much of the ground they frequent. If approached from above, they fly off at once; if from below, they walk away in the opposite direction, calling the whole time, and often cluster THE PHEASANT-GROUSE. 81 together on the top of some large stone in their way ace They seldom fly far, and if followed and put up again, often fly back to the spot where first found. At times they seem un- willing to get up at all, and several shots may be fired at them before they take wing.” The Snow Partridge feeds on moss and tender shoots of small plants. It is seldom shot, as those sportsmen who tra- verse its lonely haunts, which range from 10,000 to 15,000 feet (for it is only met with on lower ground after severe snowstorms), are generally in search of large game such as Tahr and Burrel. Nest.—‘‘It breeds on the high ridges jutting from the snow at elevations of from 12,000 to 15,000 feet.” ( Wilson.) Eggs.—“ Very large, intermediate in sizes between those of the Chukor (Caccabis chukor) and Koklass (Pucrasia macro- lopha); dull white, freckled ai over with reddish-brown, like the Koklass, but without blotches of colour.” ( Wilson.) THE PHEASANT-GROUSE. GENUS TETRAOPHASIS, Letraophasis, Elliot, Monogr. Phas. i. pl. xxi. (1871). Type, Z. obscurus (Verr.). The feathers on the feet scarcely extend below the joint ; tail wedge-shaped, and rather long, about three-quarters of the length of the wing, and composed of eighteen feathers ; first flight-feather about equal to the eighth or ninth, the fourth slightly the longest. The sexes are similar in plumage, but the male is armed with a stout spur on each leg. Only two species of these large Grouse-like Pheasants, or cather Partridges, are known from the mountains of Tibet and Western China. Few collections contain examples of these rare birds, and very little is known about their habits. I. THE DUSKY PHEASANT-GROUSE. TETRAOPHASIS OBSCURUS. Lophophorus obscurus, Verr. N. Arch. Mus. Bull. v. p. 33, pl. vi. (1869). 9 G 82 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Tetraophasis obscurus, Elliot, Monogr. Phas. i. pl. xxi. (1871) ; Prjev. in Rowley’s Orn. Misc. i. p. 429 (1877); Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 102 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Above mostly dull olive-brown, barred with buff on the wings; below grey spotted with black, shad- ing into buff on the belly. Distinguished by having the chin, throat, and fore-part of neck dark chestnut. The male measures: Total length, 18°6 inches; wing, 8°3; tail, 6°3; tarsus, 22. The female is rather smaller. Range—LEastern Tibet, ranging from Moupin to Koko-nor and the mountains of Kansu. Habits.—Prjevalsky gives the following account of the Dusky Pheasant-Grouse: ‘‘ We found 7° odscurus in the same locali- ties in Kansu as the preceding species (the Tibetan Snow Cock), only at a comparatively lower altitude. It was first dis- covered by Abbé David in Si-chuani (Sze-chuen), and belongs to the middle mountain-ranges, where it principally keeps to the wooded and bush-covered rocks and ravines. Early in spring (about March) they commence pairing, and from that time their voice can be heard daily. It is similar to that of Crossoptilon auritum (the Eared Pheasant), being, however, more varied and longer-lasting.’ The male and female call at the same time, running side by side, with the tail erected and wings dropped. ‘The spreading of the tail is very characteristic ; it is like a fan when erected. And this is done also when the bird is surprised or runs in order to avoid danger. When open, the tail is brownish-black, with a distinctly marked white band. “ Like Crossoptilon auritum, the present species does not call much, and its voice can be heard only four or five times at certain intervals, but always (or, rather, usually) in the morn- ing at sunrise; and as soon as one pair commences calling, others answer. “When flushed, Z\ odscurus utters a loud cry, but does not fly THE SNOW-COCKS. 83 far ; and when disturbed in bushes, it always attempts to escape by running. Shooting these birds is extremely difficult.” Nest.—According to the statements of natives, the nest is constructed of grass, on the ground, under thick bushes Eggs.—Number unknown ; but one lot of four incubated, and another of three fresh, eggs were obtained by a native sports- man for Prjevalsky. The eggs are yellowish-grey or dirty grey, matked with brown spots, which are thickest on the smaller end. II, SZECHENYI’S PHEASANT-GROUSE. TETRAOPHASIS SZECHENVII. Tetraophasts széchenyit, Madarasz, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 11 p. 50, pl. i. (1885) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 103 (1893). Tetraophasis desgodinst, Oustalet, Le Nat. 1886, p. 276 Adult Male and Female——Distinguished by having the chin, throat, and fore-part of the neck pale fawn-colour. The male measures: Total length, 17°6 inches; wing, 8'9; tail, 6:1; tarsus, 2'2. The female is slightly smaller. Range——Mountains of Central Tibet, extending north to the Sok Pass, east to Ta-tsién-lod, and south to Yer-ka-lo, Mekong River. THE SNOW-COCKS. GENUS TETRAOGALLUS. Letraogallus, J. H. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 46 (1833). Type, Z. Aimatayensis, J. E. Gray. Feathers on the feet scarcely extending below the tarsal joint ; tail composed of twenty or twenty-two feathers, rather long, five-eighths of the length of the wing, rounded, the outer pair of feathers being about two inches shorter than the middle pair ; first flight-feather about equal to the fifth; an elongate naked patch behind the eye. The feet of the male are pro- vided with a pair of stout spurs. The six species included in the genus are all large Alpine G 2 84 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. birds, the larger forms approaching the Capercailzies (Zefrao- gallus) in size, some males attaining a weight of six and a half pounds. I. THE TIBETAN SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS TIBETANUS, Tetraogallus tibetanus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1853, p. 47; id. B. Asia, vii. pl. 32 (1853); Prjev. in Rowley’s Orn. Mise. ii. p. 427 (1877) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 275, pl. (1878) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 104 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—General colour above dark grey and buff; below white, striped with black. Distinguished by having no white on the basal half of the outer quills ; chest white, divided from the breast bya grey band. Bill orange-red ; feet coral-red Total length, 20 inches; wing, 10°8 ; tail, 6°2 ; tarsus, 2°5. Range.—Tibet, ranging east to the Sauju Pass, Eastern Turkestan ; west to Moupin, north to Kansu and Koko-nor, and south to the Himalayas. Habits.—In the Himalayas the Tibetan Snow-Cock (known among the Kirghiz as ‘‘Utar”’) appears to be found at elevations of from 15,000 to 19,000 feet, though in the more northern parts of its range, such as Koko-nor, it is met with lower down. The best account of this species is given by Prjevalsky: “Like C. chukar, this species is a quick and lively bird ; and its voice can almost daily be heard (in north Tibet), at least in spring and summer, in the midst of the wildest and most desolate parts of the mountains. In the middle of the day, how- ever, from about eleven to three o’clock, they do not call, but usually rest ; in the morning they begin long before sun- 6 eee “In winter they keep in small flocks up to fifteen indivi- duals ; and in April, or even earlier, they commence pairing. “The number of young belonging to a nest varies from five to ten; and we found young ones early in August. They THE SNOW-COCKS. : 85 were very small, about the size of a Quail, whilst others were quite as large as their parents. : “Both parent birds accompany fie. brood. Whilst the young are small, they crouch on the approach of danger, or try to hide themselves between the loose stones, whilst the old ones keep on running within about twenty paces from the sportsman; but when they are full grown, they try to escape by running, and follow the cock and hen which are leading the whole flock. When much pressed, however, they fly, and do not alight on the ground again until they have crossed a ravine or valley. “These birds are very wild, and, when alone, the old birds do not allow themselves to be approached within a hundred paces. They hide themselves between stones, and usually spring up and take to flight, or else try to run, which they do so fast that a man cannot catch them. “We noticed that when they are approached from the bottom of a hill they commence running, but if from the top they at once get up. ‘When settling on the ground they shake their tails several times, just as our Willow Grouse do.” Nest and Eggs.—Little or nothing is known. Prjevalsky found a nest containing broken shells, which he believed were evidently of this species. He describes them as “larger than those of the common hen, of a dirty white, shaded with green, and marked on the smaller end with blackish-brown spots.” II, PRINCE HENRY’S SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS HENRICI, Tetraogallus henrict, Oustalet, Ann. Sci. Nat (7), xii. pp. 295, 313 (1891); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 106 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Said to differ from Z. /rbetanus in having the colour of the throat and chest grey, with only a S6 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. narrow white band down the middle of the chin and upp:r | half of the throat, and the upper tail-coverts yellowish-grey, not rufous Totallength, 26°4 inches; wing,11; tail, 7°2; tarsus, 2°2. I have not examined the typical examples of this species, but I think it very probable that they will prove to be merely younger examples of Z: ¢idefanus, which agree closely with the above description. The difference in size is probably due to individual differences in the mode of measuring and to the “make” of the skins, which have perhaps been unnaturally stretched. Ill. THE ALTAI SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS ALTAICUS. Perdix altaicus, Gebler, Bull. Sci. Acad. St. Pétersb. 1. p. 31 (1837); iv. p. 30 (1840). Tetraogallus altaicus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 105 ; Gould, B Asia, vii. pl. 31 (1853) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 110 (1893). (Plate IX.) Adult Male and Female.—Easily recognised from Z. tbefanus by having the sides of the neck grey, and the basal part of the outer (primary) flight-feathers white, but there is no white at the base of the secondaries ; from the other species it may be distinguished by its white under-parts and the feathers of the sides being uniform white. Bill blackish horn-colour ; feet orange-red. Male : Votal length, 23 inches ; wing, 10'9 ; tail, 6°8; tarsus 24 The female is slightly smaller. Ringe.— Higher chains of the Altai Mountains. IV. THE HIMALAYAN SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS HIMALAYENSIS. Tetraogallus himalayensis, Gray, P. Z. S. 1842, p. 105 ; Gould, B. Asia, vii. pl. 30 (1853); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 267, pl. (1878); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 46 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 106 (1893). py zi (6p) ny i 3 Ss os) a fH ‘a THE SNOW-COCKS. 87 Adult Male and Female—General colour above grey and buff ; throat white, divided by a dark chestnut band from the upper breast, which is white, barred with black ; rest of under-parts dark grey ; a large chestnut patch on each side of the nape. Basal two-thirds of the outer (primary) flight-feathers white, but the inner (secondary) flight-feathers with only traces of white at the base of the shaft. Male: Total length, 25°5 inches ; wing, 12°6; tail, 7°8; tar- sus, 2°8. Female: Total length, 22°5 inches; wing, 10°8; tail, 6°8 ; tATSUS, 2°5. Range.— Higher ranges of the Himalayas, extending west to the Hindu Kush and northwards through the Altai Mountains. Habits.— The following is extracted from Mr. Wilson’s account of the Himalayan Snow-Cock, or Snow Pheasant, known as the “‘Jer-moonal” in the Hills north of Masuri. ‘It is confined exclusively to the snowy ranges, or the large spurs jutting from them which are elevated above the limits of forest, but is driven by the snows of winter to perform one, and in some places two, annual migrations to the middle regions; in summer they are only seen near the limits of vegetation. In Kunawar they are common at all seasons from Cheenee upwards, but on the Gangetic hills, from June till August, however much a person wanders about on the highest access- ible places, but few are met with, and I have no doubt what- ever but that nearly all those, which at other seasons frequent this part, retire across the snow into Chinese Tibet to breed. About the beginning of September they are first seen near the tops of the higher grassy ridges, jutting from the snow and the green slopes above, and about the limits of forest. After the first general and severe fall of snow they come down in numbers on to some of the bare exposed hills in the forest regions, and remain there till the end of March. This partial migration is probably made in the night after the fall of snow, S8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. as I have invariably found them in their winter quarters early the next morning. It requires a deep fall to drive them down, and in some mild winters, except a few odd birds, they do not come at all. The birds on each respective hill seem to have a particular spot for their winter resort, which they return to, every year the migration is made. “The Snow Pheasant is gregarious, congregating in packs, sometimes to the number of twenty or thirty, but in general not more.than from five to ten ; several packs inhabiting the same hill. In summer the few which remain on our side are found in single pairs generally, but across the snow, where the great body migrate, I almost always, even then, found several to- gether. ‘They seldom leave the hill on which they are located, but fly backwards and forwards when disturbed. . . . “The Jer-moonal never enters forests or jungle, and avoids spots where the grass is long, or where there is underwood of any kind. It is needless to add that it never perches. During the day, if the weather be fine and warm, they sit on the rocks or rugged parts of the hill without moving much about, except in the morning and evening. When cold and cloudy, and in rainy weather, they are very brisk, and are moving about and feeding all day long. When feeding, they walk slowly uphill, picking up the tender blades of grass and young shoots of plants, occasionally stopping to scratch up a certain bulbous root, of which they seem very fond. If they reach the summit of the hill, after remaining stationary some time, they fly off to another quarter, alighting some distance down, and again picking their way upwards. When walking, they erect their tails, have a rather ungainly gait, and at a little distance have something the appearance of a large Grey Goose. ; ‘“The Jer-moonal is not remarkably wild or shy. When approached from below, on a person getting within eighty or a hundred yards, they move slowly uphill or slanting across, often turning to look back, and do not go very far unless fol- lowed. If app-oached from above, they fly off at once, with- THE SNOW-COCKS. 39 out walking many yards from the spot. They seldom, in any situation, walk far downhill, and never run except for a few yards when about to take wing.” Nest.—A hole scratched in the ground, under the shelter of a stone, rock, or bush, at elevations of from 12,000 to 17,500 feet. Eggs.—Five in number generally, but said to be as many as nine and even twelve. In shape a long perfect oval; shell minutely pitted with pores; olive or brownish stone-colour, with numerous spots and dots, and sometimes small blotches of reddish- or purplish-brown. Average measurements, 2°72 by 1°85 inches. V. THE CASPIAN SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS CASPIUS. Tetrao caspius, Gmel. Reise, iv. p. 67, pl. 10 (1784). Tetraogallus caspius, Gould, B. Asia, vil. pl. 29 (1853) ; Sclat. in Wolf’s Zool. Sketches (1), pl. 40 (1861) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Car, 5. but. Mus. xxi. p. 108 (1893). Megaloperdix raddet, Bolle and Brehm, J. f. O. 1873, p. 4. Tetraogallus challayet, Oustal. Bull. Soc. Philom. 1875, p. 54. Letraogallus tauricus, Dresser, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 675. Adult Male—Like Z. Azma/ayensis, but paler in its general colour, and easily distinguished by the grey chest, the absence of chestnut on the sides of the nape and head, and by having the basal part of the inner (secondary) flight-feathers white. Total length, 24 inches; wing, 11°5; tail, 7-5; tarsus, 2-6. Adult Female.—Differs in having the grey feathers of the chest mottled with buff. Total length, 23 inches; wing, 11 ; tail, Gro; tarsus, 2°3. Range.—Mountains of Asia Minor, ranging west of the Gok Mountains, east to Transcaspia, north to the Caucasus, and south to the higher ranges near Shiraz, S. Persia.* * Possibly the bird from S. Persia may be different. Mr. Hume thinks it may prove to be 7. hzmalayensis. 90 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. VI. THE CAUCASIAN SNOW-COCK. TETRAOGALLUS CAUCASICUS. Tetrao caucasica, Pall. Zoogr. Ross.-As. 11. pp. 76, 87 (note), pl. (1811). Chourtka alpina, Motschoulski, Bull. Soc. Mosc. No. 1. p. 95, pls. viii. viii. d7s and ix. (1839.) Tetraogallus caucasicus, March, Rev. Zool. 1877, p. 354, pl. 133 ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 109 (1893). ? Megaloperdix caucasica, Radde, Orn. Caucas. p. 335, pl. xxi. figs. 1 and 2 (1884). Adult Male and Female-——Resemble 7. caspzus in general plum- age, but the back of the head and nape are rust-red, and there is a dull chocolate band down each side of the throat ; the whole upper back is barred and mottled with black and buff, and the chest is blackish-grey, irregularly barred and mottled with buff. Total length, 21 inches ; wing, 10°8; tail, 6°8 ; tar- suS, 2°4. Range.— Higher ranges of the Caucasus Mountains. THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. GENUS CACCABIS. Caccabis, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 183 (1829). Type, C. saxatilis (Wolf and Meyer). The feathers on the feet scarcely extending below the tarsal joint ; tail composed of fourteen feathers, somewhat rounded, and five-eighths of the length of the wing; first flight-feather about equal to the sixth, third slightly the longest ; throat covered with feathers ; sub-terminal part of the outer webs of the outer (primary) flight-feathers buff ; sides and flanks f¢rams- versely barred, in marked contrast to the rest of the plumage of the under-parts. Sexes similar. Male provided with a pair, or sometimes more, of stout blunt spurs. I, THE ROCK RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. CACCABIS SAXATILIS. Perdix saxatilis, Wolf and Meyer, Hist. Nat. Ois. Allem. p. 87, pl. 48 (1805) ; Gould, B. Europe, iv. pl. 261, fig. 2 (1837); Gigl. Iconogr. Av. Ital. pl. 252 (1881). THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. j QI Caccabis saxatilis, Dresser, B. Europe, vii. p. 93, p!. 470 (1875) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 111. (1893). Adult Male and Female-——Above greyish olive: brown; breast grey ; belly pale rufous-buff; outer tail-feathers dark chestnut ; top of the head dull vinaceous-grey ; white throat and fore- neck surrounded by a black band ; feathers of the chest uni- form, not margined with black on the sides; /orves black; ear- coverts black, mixed with buff. Male: ‘Total length, 15 inches ; wing, 6°6; tail, 3°6; tarsus, ro. Female; Total length, 13°6; wing, 6°2; tail, 3°43 tarsus, 7. Range.— Mountains of Southern Europe. Eastern Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, and Balkans; also Sicily. It still remains uncertain whether it is this species or the closely allied form, C. chukar, which is found in the mainland of Greece ; it is certainly the latter which is met with in the Grecian Archi- pelago, but so far I have been unable to obtain examples of the mainland bird. Hybrids.—Crosses have been described between this species and the Barbary Red-legged Partridge (C. fefrosa) ; and also with the Common Red-legged Partridge (C. rufa). Habits.—This species inhabits the desolate stony hillsides, and its mode of life and habits are very similar to those of its eastern ally, the Chukar, which are fully described below. Professor Victor Fatio records a curious variety of this species, with a black head. for this bird, of which he has seen three examples from Switzerland, he proposes the name of C. saxatilis, var. melanocephalus (nec Riipp.). SUBSP. @. THE CHUKAR RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. CACCABIS CHUKAR. Perdix chucar, J. E. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. 1. pl. 54 (1830-32); Gould, Cent. B. Himal. pl. 71 (1832). 92 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Caccabis chukar, G. R. Gray, List of B. pt. ii. Gall. p. 36 (1844); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 113 (1893). Caccabis chukor, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 34, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests! and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 431 (1890). Adult Male and Female.—Closely resemble the western form, C. saxatilis, but always differ in having the lores, or space im- mediately behind and below the nostril scale, white or whitish- buff instead of black,* and the ear-coverts chestnut. Male: Total length, 14°6 inches ; wing, 6°7 ; tail, 3°9; tar- sus, I'9. Female: Total length, 13°4 inches; wing, 6°5; tail, 3°38; tarsus, 1°8. Range.—Asia, extending in the west to the Ionian Islands [and possibly the mainland of Greece], in the east to China, in the north to Mongolia and Turkestan, and in the south to the Persian Gulf and possibly to Arabia. Island of St. Helena [introduced ]. This bird varies immensely in size and colour in different localities, but all the various forms pass imperceptibly into one another and must be regarded as mere climatic varieties of the same sub-species. ‘The lightest coloured birds in all the large series I have examined come from the arid neighbour- hood of Bushire at the head of the Persian Gulf. Somewhat darker forms occur at Bagdad and Shiraz, in Afghanistan, Sind, Ladak, and other localities where the physical surroundings are somewhat similar in character, while the darkest and most richly-coloured examples are those from the Ionian Islands, Cyprus, Asia Minor, and the outer Himalayas, where vegetation ismore plentiful. In birds from North China, the upper-parts of the body have a more reddish tint, but specimens from northern * It must however be noted that some specimens of C. chukar havea very small spot of black feathers below the nasal opening, thus approach- ing C. saxatilis. pres ca THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. 93 Afghanistan and several other localities approach them closely in colour. Mr. Hume says: ‘‘ The Chukor may be found in different localities from sea-level, as in Southern Sind and Beluchi- stan, to an elevation of at least 16,000 feet, as in Ladak and Tibet. “Tt will be found in comparatively well wooded, watered, and cultivated hills, as throughout the lower, southern, or outer ranges of the Himalayas; in absolute deserts, like those of -Ladak and the Karakoram plateaux; or in utterly barren rocky ranges, like those of the Mekran and Arabian coasts, where the abomination of desolation seems to reign enshrined. Tn one place it faces a noon-day temperature of 150° Fahr.; in another, braves a cold, about daybreak, little above zero ; here it thrives where the annual rainfall exceeds roo inches, and there flourishes where it is practically zz7. But all these differences in physical environment affect appreciably the size and colour of the species; and hence the numerous races which, under a variety of names {rvuficola, altaica, sinaica, pallescens, pubescens, arenarius, pallidus, &c.), have been at one time or another elevated to the rank of species. “The Chukor is a very noisy bird, repeating Sonsini in a sharp, clear tone, that may be heard for a mile or more through the pure mountain air, his own well-applied trivial name. Like other Game-Birds, they call most in the mornings and evenings ; but even when undisturbed, they may be heard calling to each other at all hours of the day ; and very soon after a covey has been dispersed, each individual member may be heard proclaiming his own, and anxiously enquiring after all his fellows’ whereabouts. The tone varies. First he says, ‘I’m here, I’m here’; then he asks, ‘ Who’s dead? Who’s dead?’; and when he is informed of the untimely decease of his pet brother and favourite sister, or perhaps his eldest son and heir, he responds, ‘Oh lor! Oh lor!’ in quite a mournful tone,” 94 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. The following account of its habits are given by Mr. Wilson. “In our part of the hills the Chukor is most numerous in the higher inhabited districts, but is found scattered over all the lower and middle ranges. In summer they spread themselves over the grassy hills to breed, and about the middle of September begin to assemble in and around the cultivated fields near the villages, gleaning at first in the grain-fields- which have been reaped, and afterwards, during winter, in those which have been sown with wheat and barley for the en- suing season, preferring the wheat. tail, 2°5 ; tarsus, 1°25. Adult Female—Resembles the female of 4. boxhamz. Range.—Both sides of the Red Sea, extending north to the Dead Sea, westwards to Egypt and Nubia, about as far south as 20 N. latitude, and eastwards to Muscat, Persian Gulf. THE FRANCOLINS. GENUS FRANCOLINUS. Lrancolinus, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xi. pt. ii. p. 316 (1819). Type, & francolinus (Linn.). The feathers of the feet scarcely extend below the tarsal 102 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. joint ; tail composed of fourteen feathers, half the length of the wing, or rather more; first flight-feather varying in length between the seventh and tenth*; the fourth to the sixth forming the angle of the wing; throat covered with feathers ; plumage of the flanks not barred, or, if barred, not contrasting with the rest of the under-parts. Sexes usually similar, or nearly similar, in plumage, but in a few species extremely different. Feet with- out spurs, or with one or more pairs.t Although certain of the large number of species forming the various groups of this genus differ considerably from one another in several important points, and have in consequence received a variety of generic or sub-generic names, I have so far found it impossible to divide. the genus Francolinus into minor sections, the less highly characterised species forming intermediate links which prevent any of the proposed divisions from being satisfactorily characterised. To assist in the identification of the forty-four species com- prising this great genus, the various groups of allied forms have been divided under several headings, characterised by promi- nent differences in the marking of the plumage. A. A well-defined row of rufous or buff spots on doth webs of the primary flight-feathers (species 1 to 3, pp. 103-107). B. No well-defined row of rufous or buff spots on both webs of the primary flizht-feathers ; feathers of the back and scapulars with white or buff shaft-stripes down the middle. a. Breast and flanks whitish buff, with wsform transverse bars of black (species 5 to 8, pp. 108-112). b. Breast and flanks zof whitish buff, barred with black (species 9 to 26, pp. 112-122). * In Francolinus squamatus and F. schuetté the first flight-feather is slightly shorter than the tenth, so that the shape of the wing is somewhat Pheasant-like, but the shortness of the tail at once distinguishes these birds as Perdicine. + In many of the species, the females have no spurs, but it is not un- common to find a blunt pair developed in old birds. PLATE XI. COMMON FRANCOLIN. THE FRANCOLINS. 103 C. Vo well-defined row of rufous or buff spots on both webs of the primary flight-feathers ; feathers of the back and scapulars devoid of white or buff shaft-stripes down the middle (p. 124). c. Inner webs of the primary flight-feathers either mostly pale buff or brown, largely barred and mottled with chestnut or buff (species 28 to 34, pp. 125-128). ad. Inner webs of the primary flight-feathers uniform dark brown, sometimes slightly dotted with buff towards the marginal extremity (species 35 to 44, pp. 129-135). The Francolins or Spur-legged Partridges vary much in size, some being not much larger than Quails, others rather larger than the Red-legged Partridges. A. The three following Asiatic species are characterised by having @ well-defined row of rufous or buff spots on both webs of the primary flightfeathers. I. THE COMMON FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS FRANCOLINUS. Tetrao francolinus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 275 (1766). Perdix francolinus, Vieill. Faun. Frang. p. 254, pl. 110, fig. 2, and pl. iii. fig. 1 (1828). Francolinus vulgaris, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xi. p. 319 (1819); Gould, B. Europe, iv. p. 259, pl. (1837); Dresser, B. Europe, vil. p. 123, pl. 473 (1876); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, 11. p. 9, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. i. p. 428 (1890) ; Ogilvie Grant, Cat, Ba Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 132 (1893). francolinus tristriatus, F. henrici, and F. asia, Bonap. C. R. xii p. 682 (1856). (Plate XI.) Adult Male.—General colour of the under-parts black, spotted with white on the sides ; upper-back black, spotted with white ; lower-back barred with white; a wide dark chestnut nuchal collar ; a white patch on the hinder-part of the cheek; ves¢ Of head and throat black. A pair of small wart-shaped spurs. TO4 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Total length, 13 inches; wing, 6; tail, 3°5; tarsus, 1°7 (Indian specimens). Examples from Cyprus, Asia Minor, Persia, &c., have larger dimensions; wing, 6°9. Adult Female.—Differs chiefly from the male in having the colour of the upper-parts browner ; the sides of the face buff, dotted with black ; the throat white; the chestnut collar con- fined to the nape, and the under-parts whitish-buff, more or less strongly-marked with V-shaped black bars. ‘Total length, 12°6 inches; wing, 5°9; tail, 3°5; tarsus, 1°6 (Indian specimens). Examples from Cyprus, &c., larger; wing, 6°6. Range-—From Cyprus, Palestine, and Asia Minor, through Persia eastwards to Northern and Central India, to Assam and southward to Manipur. Formerly found in Sicily, but now apparently extinct. It also, no doubt, occurred in Sardinia, Spain, and on the north-west coast of Africa, but has long since been exterminated. Habits—This handsome species, also known as the Black Partridge, or Kala titur among Indian sportsmen, is still numerous in many parts of Upper India, and affords most excellent shooting, being either bagged from elephants with a close line of beaters, or shot over dogs. Mr. Hume publishes the following notes on this species, sent to him by Mr. O. Greig: ‘The Francolin is not a_ prolific breeder. I hardly ever remember to have seen more than three young ones in a brood. Probably, being a ground bird, the young are killed by stoats, jackals, and other vermin, and the mother is not of sufficient size to defend them. It seems to have a second brood sometimes. “Tt remains entirely cn the ground, as a rule, except the cock when calling, when he will at times get on to a stump or ant-hill; but up the Touse Valley, and in the Rama Serai, in Native Garhwal, I have seen them high up in chir-trees (Pinus longifolia). “From its breeding so slowly it is easily shot off, and I have known a place almost cleared in one season. ‘The Western THE FRANCOLINS. 105 Dtin has been served in that way. Formerly twenty-five brace could be bagged there, but now, if a man flushes five brace in a day, he has done well.” ‘All sportsmen who like Black Partridge shooting should kill all vermin they see about its haunts. “This bird gets tame readily, and, even when caught full grown, will feed on the day it is caught. It affords some of the finest sport of all small game, and with steady dogs one may have grand shooting. It may be found in all crops, but especially in cotton-fields freshly sown, wheat, rice, and mus- tard, and in wild hemp. It runs a good deal at times, but will lay like a stone if headed; it is never found far from grass- jungles. “Some hens have spurs of the same size and shape as the cocks. “Tt is kept tame by the natives, and used for the capture of wild ones in the breeding-season. ‘The mode of using it is to put it in a cage out near wild ones in the pairing-season, and to set snares round the cage. The tame ones then call up the wild ones; but only cocks are caught in this way, and the tame one must bea young one reared by hand, as, if caught when old, it will not call. “Netting is largely used to capture this bird, and on one occasion I wanted some birds to stock a bit of forest, and a man caught two score of birds in a very short time. “T never heard of this bird being used for fighting; it is merely kept as a call-bird or as a pet.” Nest..—Always well hidden; often slight, sometimes more substantial, and composed of grass, roots, and dry bamboo, &c.; placed in a hollow in the ground, at elevations varying from nearly sea-level to 6,000 feet. Eggs.—Six to ten in number, bluntly pointed at the smaller end, and varying in colour from uniform greenish stone-colour to rich brownish-buff. Average measurements, 1°56 by 1°28 inch, 106 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. II. THE PAINTED FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS PICTUS. Perdix picta, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn. pl. 50. Perdix hepourni, J. %. Gray, Ul. Ind. Zool: 1. pe s5-iiees (1830-32). Francolinus pictus, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 19, pl. (1879); Legge, B. Ceylon, iii. p. 744 (1880); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 430 (1890) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 138 (1893). Adult Male.—Differs from the male of / francolinus in having no trace of a chestnut collar; the forehead and sides of the head rust-red ; the throat paler rufous, spotted with black ; the scapulars black, edged with buff , the under-parts black, covered with round white spots. Spurs entirely wanting. Adult Female—Very similar to the male, but the throat is whitish and not spotted with black. Total length, 11°6 inches; wing, 5°3; tail 2°5 ; tarsus, 1°7. Range.— Western and Central India, extending in the west to North Guzerat, northwards to Hamirpur, and south as far as . Coimbatore on the east and Masulipatam on the west. It is also found in Ceylon. Habits—This Painted Francolin is very locally distributed over its range, and is far more arboreal in its habits than / Jrancolinus, which rarely perches. It may often be met with roosting on bushes and trees. Its favourite haunts are dry fields studded with trees, the higher uplands covered with scrub-jungle, or broken hilly ground, and it avoids the damper lower-lying country where the Common Francolin is ordinarily met with. Hybrid.—This species is known to cross with & francolinus, and Colonel E. A. Butler shot six or seven such hybrids near Deesa, a locality where the ranges of the two species meet. For a figure of one of these hybrids see Hume and Marshall, Game B. India, ii. p. 27, pl. fig. 2 (1879). THE FRANCOLINS. 107 Nest and Eggs.—Very similar to those of / francolinus, but larger and generally less like a peg-top in shape. Average measurements, 1°4 by 1°18 inch. III, THE CHINESE FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS CHINENSIS. Letrao chinensis, Osbeck, Voy. en Chine, ii. p. 326 (1771). Letrao madagascariensis and T. pintadeanus, Scop. Del. Flor. et Paun: Insubr. pt. 11. p. 93 (1786). Letrao perlatus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. il. pp. 756, 758 (1788). Perdix (Lrancolinus) maculatus, Gray, Fasc. B. China, pl. 7 (1871). Lrancolinus phayret, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xii. p. rorr (1843). Francolinus chinensis, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 27, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ii. p. 431 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. rite MUS, Xxil.p. £37 (1893). = Adult Male—Like / fictus, this species has xo chestnut collar, but differs in having the scapulars chestnut, or chest- nut and black, with rounded spots of white or buff. A black band crosses the forehead and is continued behind the eye, and a second, starting from the angle of the gape, crosses the cheek ; rest of the sides of the head and throat white. Feet armed with a pair of sharp spurs. Adult Female——Differs from the male in having the sides of the head washed with rufous, the scapulars d/ack, margined with brownish, and spotted and barred with buff, and the under-parts buff, barred with black. Total length, 12°6 inches; wing, 5°5; tail, 3; tarsus, 1°6. Range.—Indo-Chinese countries, Burma, Siam, Cochin China, Hainan, and Southern China. It is not found in Tenasserim. It was introduced more than a century ago into Réunion and Mauritius. ? Madagascar. Habits—Very similar to those of / pictus, but it seldom 108 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. visits the open country, preferring near Thayetmyo, where it is specially numerous, the “gravel hills with bamboo-jungle, intermingled with abandoned clearings, in the dense vegeta- tion of which it loves to conceal itself” (Oazes). £B. All the following species (Nos. 4 to 25 inclusive) are char- acterised by having xo well-defined row of buff spots on the inner and outer webs of the primary flightfeathers, but the feathers of the back and scapulars have white or buff shaft-stripes down the middle. The following species only has the throat black ; 7” all the rest it ts differently coloured. IV. LATHAM’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS LATHAMI. francolinus lathami, Hartl. J. f. O. 1854, p. 210; Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 139 (1893). Francolinus pelt, ‘Temm. Bijdr. tot de Dierk. I. p. 50, pl. (1854). Adult Male——General colour above olive-brown; throat and Jore-neckh black ; breast black, each feather with a white heart- shaped spot. Total length, 10 inches; wing, 5°6; tail, 27; tarsus, 1°7. Adult Female—Distinguished from the male by being some- what smaller, and by having the upper-parts faintly and irregu- larly barred with rufous-buff and black, and the chest-feathers margined externally with brown. Range.— West Africa, from the Loango Coast northwards to Senegambia. a. The three following species have the é7veast and flanks whitish-buff, uniformly barred with black. V. THE GREY FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS PONDICERIANUS. Tetrao pondicerianus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. il. p. 760 (1788). Francolinus pondicertanus, Steph. in Shaw’s Gen. Zool. xi. p. 321 (1819); Ogilvie-Grant, ‘Cat. B. Brit. Mus> am p. 141 (1893). THE FRANCOLINS. 10g erin orientalis, J. EK. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. pl. 56, fig. 2 (1830-32). | Ortygornis pondicerianus, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 51, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ili. p. 435 (1890). Adult Male and Female-—General colour above a mixture of chestnut and brown, barred with buff; below- whitish-buff, closely barred with narrow wavy black bars. The male has a pair of sharp spurs. Total length, 12°5 inches; wing, 5°8 ; fail 3°45; tarsus, 1°6. Range,—South-western Asia, from Eastern Arabia and South Persia to India and Ceylon. Amirante and Mascarene Islands [introduced]. Habits—From Mr. Hume’s excellent account of the Grey Partridge, as it is called in India, the following notes on its habits are extracted :-— ‘Dry warm tracts, interspersed with scrub or low grass jungle, in the neighbourhood of cultivation, are what it specially affects, and the stunted acacia or wild date thickets or prickly pear hedges, that so often encircle our villages, are favourite haunts. So, too, are the hedges in some parts of the country enclosing every field, the bush-clad banks of nallcs and broken ground, and ravines running down to rivers, more or less thinly or thickly studded with low catechu, acacia, or other scrub. “Morning and evening they will be found in the fields or pecking about on the highways and byeways, but their homes are in the scrub, or in low thorny trees, in which many of them, in such localities, roost, and on which they may be found perching, at times, at almost any hour of the day. ‘But provided the locality be dry and warm and the ground broken, no want of scrub or cultivation, no lack of trees and hedges, seems to banish them. I have shot them in the most desolate spots near the bases of the hills in Sind and on the IIo LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Mekran Coast, where there were no ¢races of vegetation at the time, and where, in the best of seasons only, a few straggling tufts of grass and desert plants are to be seen. ‘The most noteworthy point about this species is its clear ringing, inspiriting call ké, ké kateetur, kateetur, which sylla- blize it as you will (and everyone has his own rendering), once heard, is never to be forgotten. Morning and evening the fields and groves re-echo with their cheery cry, and, during the spring and summer especially, it may be heard occasionally at all hours. “They feed on grain of all kinds, grass seeds, and insects, especially white ants and their eggs, and on the young leaves of mustard, peas, and other herbs. Dig open an ant’s nest in some scrub frequented by these birds, retire for ten minutes, and the chances are that on your return you find half a dozen Greys busy at the nest. “They run very swiftly and gracefully ; they seem to glide rather than run, and the native lover can pay no higher com- pliment to his mistress than to liken her gait to that of the Part- ridge. “Tt is often difficult to flush them, but when they rise it is with a true Partridge ‘whir’; and their flight is swifter and stronger, and they will carry off more shot than our English bird. ‘In many places they are to be found in pairs, but where they are really numerous, they often keep in regular coveys, a dozen rising within a small space if they are in ground in which they cannot run well.” Nest.—A slight hollow scratched out by the birds, generally in the shelter of scrub-jungle. Eggs.—Six to nine in number; pointed ovals in shape; white, tinged with brownish-buff. Average measurements. 7°3 by 1°03 inch. THE FRANCOLINS. EO 0 VI. THE COQUI FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS COQUI. Perdix cogui, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. p. 55 (1836). Lrancolinus subtorquatus, Smith, Il. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pl. 15 (1838) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard’s B. S. Afr. p. 600 (1884). Lrancolinus cogut, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 143 (1893). Francolinus stuhimanni, Reicken. J. f. O. 1889, p. 270. Adult Male——Head chestnut-brown, shading into pale rufous or whitish on the throat ; general colour of upper-parts a mix- ture of chestnut and buff, barred with blackish or dark grey ; back of the neck and under-parts white, shading into buff on the belly, al? with wide regular black bars. A pair of sharp spurs. Total length, 11 inches ; wing, 5°5; tail, 3; tarsus, 1's. Adult Female.— Distinguished from the male by having black eyebrow stripes ; the throat margined by a black band; and the dack of the neck and breast vinaccous-grey and dull chestnut, with while shaft-streaks. No spurs. Range.—This species has a wide range, being found over East, South, and South-west Africa. Habits—The habits of the Coqui Francolin are apparently much the same in all parts of its wide range. Mr. T. Ayres writes : ‘‘ These birds live in the open country, and are generally dispersed all over the Colony of Natal ; they are to be found in coveys, like the Partridge in England; they roost on the ground in any convenient tuft of grass, and nestle all together. These.birds would be numerous were it not for the burning of the grass, together with the hawks, wild cats, and snakes, which abound here and are their mortal enemies.” This Francolin is extremely difficult to flush, and without the assist- ance of dogs is consequently seldom seen. Its call-note is shrill, but not unpleasant, and is mostly heard in the early morning and towards evening. Like the rest of its kind, its food consists of small bulbous roots, seeds, berries, and insects, and its flesh is excellent. 112 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. VII. HUBBARD’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS HUBBARDI. Francolinus hubbardi, Grant, Bull. B.O.Club, iv. p. xxvil. (1895). (Plate Xa.) Adult Male and Female.—Similar to / cogut, but having the entire breast uniform buff, zzthout any black bars. ‘otal length, 10 inches ; wing, 5°6. Range.—Nassa district, Victoria Nyanza. VIII. SCHLEGEL’S FRANCOLIN, FRANCOLINUS SCHLEGELI. Francolinus schlegelit, Heugl. J. f. O. 1863, p. 275; id. Orn. N. O.-Afr. ii. p. 898, pl. xxx. (1873) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. -xxil. p. 145 (1893). ? Lrancolinus buckleyi, Shelley MS.; Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1892, Duda. Adult Male.— Differs from the male of / cogui chiefly in having | the shoulders, wing-coverts, and outer webs of the secondary flight-feathers uniform light red. Two female specimens (/% duckley?) from Accra, now in the British Museum, which originally formed part of the Shelley collection, may prove to be the females of this species. They differ from the female of / cogut in having the black stripes over the eye and round the throat nearly obsolete, the basal part of the inner primary and secondary flight-feathers chestnut, and the upper-parts greyer. Range.— Bongo, Equatorial Africa, and perhaps extending to Accra on the West Coast. ’. In the following species the breast and flanks are zo¢ whitish: buff, uniformly barred with black. IX. THE RING-NECKED FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS STREPTOPHORUS. Francolinus streptophorus, Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1891, p. 126, id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xs %p..145, pl asaaee): Adult Male——General colour above brown, below buff; the sides of the head mostly bright chestnut ; eyebrow stripe, ae Pe AGeE xa Se HUBBARD S FRANCOLIN. - THE FRANCOLINS., 1 and another stripe across the hinder part of the cheek, and the throat white; from all the following species of this section it differs in having a wide band of feathers barred alternately with black and white round the neck. ‘Total length, 11 inches; mane, 6-2; tail, 2°7; tarsus, 1°55. O spurs. Adult Female.— Differs from the male in being rather smaller and in having the upper-parts barred with buff and the wing- coverts spotted with the same colour. Range.—Central Hast Africa; southern foot of Mount Elgon and Masai-land. ‘This fine species, recently obtained for the first time by Mr. F. J. Jackson, was met with in the scrubby plains in the localities mentioned above. X. SMITH’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS SEPHAENA. Perdix sephena, Smith, Rep. Exped. Cent. Afr. p. 55 (1836). francolinus pileatus, Smith, Ill. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pl. 14 (7838); Sharpe, ed. Layard’s B. S: Afr. p. 593 (1884); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 146 (1893). Adult Male—Not unlike / streftophorus, but the feathers surrounding the neck are dark chestnut, edged on either side with white or buff. ‘The breast and under-parts are z//iout chestnut spots. Total length, 12 inches; wing, 6°5; tail, 3°8; tarsus, 1°7.. A pair of sharp spurs. Adult Female-—Differs from the ma/e in having the upper- parts covered with narrow wavy bars of buff and lines of black. No spurs. Range.—South Africa, extending in the east from the Maricc River and the Transvaal to the Zambesi, and westwards to northern Damara-land. Habits This species inhabits the forest-clad hillsides and bush country, and is chiefly met with in the open glades. When flushed it generally perches on one of the higher branches, and with elevated crest inspects the movements of its pursuers. It is a somewhat rare bird, occurring in coveys, and appears to be very similar to & cogu@ in its Y H 114 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. general habits, so far as one can gather from the scanty notes on the subject. XI. GRANT’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS GRANTI. Francolinus granti, Hartl. P. Z. S. 1865, p. 665, pl. 39, fig. 1; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 148 (1893). Francolinus schoanus, Heugl. Orn. N. O.-Afr. ii. p. 891, pl. xxix. fig. 2:(1873). Francolinus ochrogaster, Harti. J. f. O. 1882, p. 327. This species is a smaller representative of / sephena in East Africa, and both sexes differ only from those of the latter bird in being less in size. Male.—Total length, 11 inches ; wing, 5°5 ; tail, 3°5 ; tarsus, 17; Female.-—Somewhat smaller, and devoid of spurs. Range.—East Africa, extending from about 5° S.to 10° N. lat. and inland to about 31° E. long. XII. KIRK’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS KIRKI. Francolinus kirki, Hartl. P. Z. S. 1867, p. 8273; Finsch and Hartl. Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 588, pl. x. fig. 1 (1870); Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxil. p. 149 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Closely resemble in plumage the male and female respectively of both / sephena and F. grant, and in size agree with the latter species; but they are easily distinguished from both by having ax oblong chestnut spot at the end of the shaft of most of the feathers of the breast and belly. Range—East Africa, from the Rovuma River to Dar-es- Salaam and Zanzibar Island. XIII. THE SPOTTED FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS SPILOGASTER. Francolinus spilogaster, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. vi. p. 541 (1888); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, xxii. p. 149 (1893). ges THE FRANCOLINS. r15 Adult Male-—Exactly like the male of / kirhz, but larger. Wing, 6°5 instead of 5°7 inches. Range.—North-east Africa; Harar. So far as we are aware, only one male specimen (the type) of this species is known, and it bears the same relationship to /: irkz that / sephena bears to F. grantt. XIV. THE WHITE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS ALBIGULARIS. francolinus albogularis, Gray, List Gall. B. iii. p. 35 (1844) ; Ovilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxit. p. 140; pl. mu: (1893). Adult Male-—General colour above chestnut, blotched and barred with black on the back; greyer on the rump; throat white; under-parts uniform buff. Total length, 9 inches; mine, 5°25 tail, 2°25 tarsus, 1-4. A pair of sharp spurs, Range.—W. Africa ; Gambia, Casamanze. This little Francolin is at present only known from a few specimens, and nothing whatever is known regarding its habits or nidification. XV. HARRIS’ FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS SPILOLAMUS. Francolinus psilolemus (sic), Gray, List Galline Brit. Mus. Dp: 50: (1867). Francolinus spilolemus, Finsch and Hartl. Vog. Ost-Afr. p. 586 (1870); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 150, pl. iii. (1893). Adult Male and Female-—General colour above umber-brown, blotched with black and barred with buff; below buff, with a V-shaped black mark near the extremity of each feather, and a blotch of chestnut on the outer web ; flight-feathers mostly bright chestnut ; chin and throat white, with a round black spot near the tip of each feather. Male witha moderate pair of spurs. Male: Total length, 12°3 inches ; wing, 6°4; tail, 2°9 ; tar- Suse 17. 116 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Female: A little smaller. Range.—North-east Africa ; Shoa. XVI. RUPPELL’S FRANCOLIN. FRANCOLINUS GUTTURALIS. Perdix guituralis, Riippell, Neue Wirb. p. 13 (1835). Francolinus gutturalis, Ruppell, Syst. Uebers, p. 103, pl. 40; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. p. 151 (1893). Adult Male and Female—Like / sfzJolemus, but only the feathers at the edges of the throat are spotted with black; feathers of the chest chestnut, mottled with grey and buff along the shaft ; the breast and under-parts buff, striped with black along the shafts ; and the sides and flanks are heavily blotched with chestnut, and barred with blackish-brown. Male: ‘Total length, 12°5 inches ; wing, 6°5 ; tail, 2°33 )tam sus, I°4. Female: Rather smaller. Range.—North-east Africa ; Abyssinia, Bogos, and the Moun- tains of Somali-land. Habits—According to Mr. W. T. Blanford, who had many opportunities of observing the species in Abyssinia, they were generally met with in small coveys during the months of December, January, and February, and subsequently seen _ in pairs, generally amongst bushes in valleys, and not keeping to the rocky hillsides where Sharpe’s Francolin (7. sharpit) was to be found. They were not seen in the pass, but were common around Senafé, and moderately so throughout the highlands. In July and August the flesh was sometimes so rank as to be scarcely eatable, doubtless from their having fed largely on Coleoptera, which then abounded ; but in thé winter months they were excellent. The call, he says, is very similar to that of the common English Partridge, to which the plumage also presents some resemblance, so that sportsmen often take them to be the same bird. THE FRANCOLINS. bia | XVII. THE ULU FRANCOLIN, FRANCOLINUS ULUENSIS. francolinus uluensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1892, p. 443; id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxi. p. 151 (1893). Adult Male—Intermediate between the last species, / gudtu- valis, and the next one, / africanus. It differs from ¢he Jormer and resembles the latter in having a triangular patch of white feathers, tip/ed with black, on each side of the neck, and the black marking on the breast and belly arch-shaped, giving these parts a spotted appearance. From J. africanus it differs in having the inner webs of the primary flight-feathers mostly chestnut. Total length, 12 inches ; wing, 6°5; tail, 2°9 ; tarsus, 1°6. tail, 5°25 tarsus, 2°8. Range.—Fiast Africa ; Mianzini, Masai-land. This is another of the new Francolins, by far the largest and finest, discovered by Mr. F. J. Jackson during his journey to Uganda. It is the largest bird of the genus, as well as one of the handsomest, and the discoverer of this fine novelty may well feel proud of it. Though common where it occurred, un- fortunately only two specimens were preserved, both males ; and the female is still unknown. THE BARE-THROATED FRANCOLINS. 135 XLIV. ERCKEL’S FRANCOLIN. . FRANCOLINUS ERCKELI. Perdix erckelit, Ruppell, Neue Wirbelth. p. 12 (1835). Lfrancolinus erckelit, Des Murs, in Lefebvre’s Voy. en Abyss. p- 144, pl. 11 (1845); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Mit 172°"( TOO): Francolinus erkelit, Auct. passim ; Blanford, Geol. and Zool. Abyss. p. 423 (1870). Adult Male—General colour above greyish-brown, each feather of the back and wing-coverts margined with dark chest- nut; scapulars with whitish shaft-stripes ; under-parts grey, shading into whitish, with an oblong dark chestnut, sometimes blackish, spot at the extremity of the shaft; bill black ; feet yellowish. ‘Two pairs of equally developed, stout, sharp, spurs. Motasicneth, 17 mches ; wing, 8°5 ; tail, 4°8; tarsus, 2°44. Adult Female.—- Differs from the male in having the scapulars, tail-coverts, and tail-feathers more barred with wavy black and buff bars, and the feet without spurs. Range.—North-east Africa; Bogosland and Eastern Abys- sinia to Shoa, and westwards to Wogara, 2,500 to 11,000 feet. THE BARE-THROATED FRANCOLINS. GENUS PTERNISTES. Piernistes, Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 1229. Type, P. nudicollis (Bodd.). The characters which distinguish this genus are the same as those of Francolinus, but the throat ts naked, and the naked patch round the eye is large and conspicuous. The nine species comprising this genus may be divided into two sections :— A. Feathers of the back and scapulars with dark-brown or black shaft-stripes (species 1 to 7, pp. 136-140). B. Feathers of the back and scapulars with w/z/e shaft- stripes (species 8 and 9, pp. 140-141). 136 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. A. Feathers of the back and scapulars with dark-brown or black shaft-stripes. I. THE CAPE BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES NUDICOLLIS. Tetrao nudicollis, Bodd. Tabl. Pl. Enl. p. 11, No. 180 (1783). Pternistes nudicollis, Sharpe, ed. Layard’s B. S. Afr. p. 589 (1884); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 174 (1893). Francolinus nudicollis, Auctorum, passim. Adult Male.—General colour above brown; feathers of xeck black, margined on the sides with greyish-white ; mantle grey, with very wide black shaft-stripes ; breast and under-parts d/ack, with white shaft-stripes ; feathers from the gape to the cheek black (freckled with zAz¢e in females and young) ; naked skin round eye and on throat crimson; feet similarly coloured and with a pair of sharp spurs. ‘Total length, 15°5 inches; wing, FiO cecalle2-7 5 tarsus; 2°4. Adult Female.—Differs chiefly from the male in having the sides of the feathers of the lower breast and belly 7/fous-brown instead of black. Smaller; wing, 7°3 inches. No spurs. Range.—South Africa; Transvaal and Cape Colony. This species is met with in the wooded districts, and is common in many of the maritime parts of its range. Eggs.— Rather round in shape; pinkish crearn-colour, finely speckled all over with chalky-white. Measurements, 1°75 by £75 Inch, II. HUMBOLDT’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES HUMBOLDTI. Francolinus humboldti, Peters, MB. Akad. Berl. 1854, p. 134. Pternistes humboldti, Sharpe, ed. Layard’s B. S. Afr. p. 589 (1884); Ogilvie-Grant, Ann. Mag. N. H. (6), vil. p. 145 (1891); id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 176 (1893). THE BARE-THROATED FRANCOLINS. 137 Francolinus (Pternistes) leucopareus, Fischer and Reichenow, iia@: 1884, p. 263. Adult Male.—Like P. nzdicollis, but the feathers from the gape to the cheek are z&z/e,; the black shaft-stripes on the feathers of the mantle arrow, scarcely extending beyond the shaft; and the breast and under-parts black (with a w4Ai‘e stripe on either side of the shaft in younger males). Sides of the neck d/ack. Bill, feet, and naked skin round the eye and on the throat blood-red. ‘Total length, 14 inches; wing, 7-4 ; tail 4:5; tarsus, -2°4. Adult Female.— Differs chiefly in having the feathers from the gape to the cheek black and white; the sides of the neck white, with a wide black band down the middle ; and the under- parts with traces here and there of white shaft-stripes. Smaller; wing, 7 inches. No spurs. Range.—East Africa, from the Tana River to the Zambesi. III. SCLATER’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISIES AFER. Tetrao afer, Mull. 5. N. Suppl. p. 129 (1766). Tetrao rubricollis, Gmel. S. N. 1. pt. it. p. 758 (1788). Plernistes sclatert, Bocage, J. Sc. Lisb, i. p. 327, pl. vi. (1868). Pternistes rubricollis, Auctorum, passim. LPternistes afer, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 177 (1893). Adult Male.—-Like P. xudicollis, but the eyebrow-stripes and feathers between the gape and cheek are pure white, breast and under-parts z/zte, with a wide black band down the middle of each feather. Feathers of upper-chest grey, finely dotted towards the extremity with black. Total length, 14 inches ; mineewin ; tail, 9°1 ; tarsus, 2°2. Adult Female.—Differs chiefly in having the feathers of the chest brownish-grey, with black shaft-stripes. Smaller; wing, 6°5 inches. No spurs. Range-—South-western Africa; Mossamedes, Benguela, An- gola. 138 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. IV. CRANCH’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES CRANCHI. Perdix cranchit, Leach, in Tuckey’s Narrat. Explor. River Zaire, App. p. 408 (1818). Piernistes cranchii, Wagler ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Ree P-L 70 ( LOO?): Perdix punciulata, J. %. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 43, fig. 3 (1833-4). Pternistes lucant, Bocage, J. Sc. Lisb. vii. p. 68 (1879). Adult Male.—General colour above umber-brown, finely mottled with black ; eck, mantle, chest, and under-parts finely mottled with black and white, the feathers of the breast and belly being widely margined on both webs with chestnut. A pair of sharp spurs. Naked skin of throat, bill, and feet crimson- red. Total length, 14 inches; wimg, 7:3; tail, 3°1; tarsus,2-3 Adult Female.—Differs somewhat from the male, having the feathers of the back of the neck drown, edged with white, and the mantle brown like the back. Nospurs. Smaller; wing, 6°8 inches. Range.—West Africa; Congo and Loango Coast, and ex- tending to the Marungu Country, south-west of Lake Tan- ganyika. V. BOEHM’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES BOEHMI. fFrancolinus cranchit, Finsch & Hartl. (mec Leach), Vog. Ost- Pt RO, pl. axe (187): Piernistes bohmt, Reich. J. f. O. 1885, p. 465 ; Ogilvie-Grant, Gat. 5. Brit. Musisxxii..p.179 (2693): Adult Male and Female.—Like P. cranchi, but the feathers of the breast and belly have black shaft-stripes. Range.—Central East Africa, east of Lake Tanganyika; Usui, Victoria Nyanza, Unyamuesi, Unyanyembe, and Ugogo. This species, which represents 2. cranchi in East Africa, was THE BARE-THROATED FRANCOLINS. 139 at first confounded with that species, but is really perfectly dis- tinct. VI. SWAINSON’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES . SWAINSONI. Perdix swainsont, Smith, Rep. Exp. Centr. Afr. p. 54 (1836). francolinus swainsont, Smith, Il. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pl. 12 (1838). Plernistes swainsont, Sharpe, ed. Layard’s B. S. Afr. p. 587 (18384) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 179 (1893). Adult Male-—General colour of plumage umber-brown, finely dotted with black ; most of the feathers of the breast and belly margined on the sides with chestnut; naked skin round eye and on throat rose-red ; upper mandible black, lower red ; feet and toes blackish, with a ruddy tinge. A pair of long sharp gpurs. Totallength, 14 inches; wing, 8; tail; 3:1 ; tarsus, 2:4. Adult Female.— Differs in having most of the feathers of the breast and belly devoid of chestnut margins. No spurs. Smaller; wing, 6°9 inches. Range.—South Africa; Matabele, Transvaal, and Damaraland. Habits.x—The habits of this species appear to be very similar to those of /rancolinus capensis. In Matabele-land Mr. Buck- ley tells us that this bird is called ‘‘ Pheasant ” by the colonists, and is generally found in coveys which, like those of the other species of this genus, are extremely difficult to flush, and always prefer, if possible, to escape by running. ‘They are generally met with in the neighbourhood of small streams, coming out into the open in daytime, and passing the night in the brush- wood, where they roost in the trees. ‘Their food, like that of the rest of their kind, consists chiefly of bulbs, seeds, berries, and insects. . Eggs.—Six and probably rnore in number; rather round; pinkish cream-colour, finely speckled all over with chalky-white. Measurements, 1°7 by 1°5 inch. 140 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. VII. REICHENOWS BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES RUFOPICTUS. Pternistes rufopictus, Reichenow, J. f. O. 1887, p. 52; Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 180 (1893). (Plate XJ.) Adult Male.—Feathers of the neck whzte, with black and rufous- brown margins. General colour above grey, with dark cross- bars ; below white, with black shaft-streaks and broad rufous- brown margins ; naked skin on the throat orange-yellow; bill reddish-brown ; feet and toes dark brown ‘Total length, 15°6 inches ; wing, 8°4 ; tail, 3:2; tarsus, 2°8. Range.—Equatorial Africa ; Wembaere Steppes, Ussambiro, and Unyoro, Nassa district, tars Nyanza. Very few examples of this remarkably fine Bare- chen Francolin have as yet been obtained, and I have only recently been able to examine perfect specimens, though I had seen the heads and necks of two which were brought from Unyoro. The British Museum, however, has recently acquired three specimens from Nassa, presented by the Rev. G. Hubbard. B.. Feathers of the back and scapulars with white shaft- SU1G CS VIII. GRAY’S BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES LEUCOSCEPUS. Perdix rubricollis, Cretzschm. (zec Gmel.), Riipp. Atl. p. 44, pl. 30 (1826). Francolinus leucoscepus, Gray, List Gallinze Brit. Mus. p. 48 (1867). Prernistes rubricollis, Blanf. Geol. and Zool. Abyss. p. 426 (1870). Pternistes leucoscepus, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxil. p. 181, pl. villi. fig. 1 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—General colour above brown ; feathers of the chest and breast wie, with dull brown margins ; those PLATE XI=. REICHENOW S BARE-THROATED FRaNColWw THE LONG-BILLED FRANCOLINS. I4I of the belly, sides, and flanks similar, but with dull chestnut margins ; bill dusky ; naked skin round eye and on throat orange-red, shading into yellow ; feet dusky-red. Male.—With a pair of sharp spurs, sometimes supplemented by a second blunt pair. Total length, 15 inches; wing, 8°1 ; fail.3°0°; tarsus, 2°5. Female.—Somewhat smaller and devoid of spurs. Range.—North-east Africa; Bogosland, Abyssinia, Shoa, and North Somali-land. IX. CABANIS’ BARE-THROATED FRANCOLIN. PTERNISTES INFUSCATUS. Pternistes infuscatus, Cabanis, J. f. O. 1868, p. 413, and in V. d. Decken’s Reis. ili. p. 44, pl. 14 (1869); Ogilvie- Grants Cat. b. Brit. Mus: xxi. p. 182, pl. vill. ‘fig. 2 (1893). Adult Male and Female—Like P. eucoscepus, but distinguished by having the feathers of the chest voz, shading into chest- nut towards the base, and each with zarrow white shaft-stripes forming a triangular white patch at the extremity, so that the predominating colour is dvowz instead of white. Range—This is a more southern representative of P. Jeucoscepus, and it is probable that the two forms intergrade in Somali-land. The typical form is found in East Africa from Mamboio northwards to Kilimanjaro, the Teita district, and Southern Somali-land. THE -LONG-BILLED FRANCOLINS. GENUS RHIZOTHERA. Rhizothera, G. R. Gray, List Gen. B. 2nd ed. p. 79 (1841). Type, 2. dongirostris (Temm.). Differs chiefly from /vancolinus in having only twelve tail- feathers, The tail is rather more than half the length of the wing ; the first primary flight-feather is about equal to the tenth, the sixth slightly the longest. Bill very stout, long, and 142 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. curved. Feet in both sexes provided with a pair of stout spurs Sexes quite different. Only two species are known. I. THE LONG-BILLED FRANCOLIN. RHIZOTHERA LONGIROSTRIS. Perdix longirostris, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 323, 721 (1815) [male]. | Tetrao curvirostris, Raffl. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 323 (1822) | [female]. | Francolinus longtrostris, J. ¥. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 45, fig. 2 (1833-4). Rhizothera longirostris, G.R. Gray ; Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 4; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 183 (1893). Adult Male—Top of the head rich brown; general colour above chestnut, blotched with black, shading into grey, mixed with buff on the lower back and upper tail-coverts ; sides of head and throat reddish-chestnut; neck, chest, and upper mantle grey; rest of under-parts rufous-buff. Total length, 14°6 inches ; wing, 77 ; tail3°5 > tarsus:s2.2: Adult Female.— Differs from the male in having the neck and chest rufous-chestnut, and the lower back and upper tail-coverts mostly buff. Slightly smaller than the male. Range.—Southern part of the Malay Peninsula, and extend- ing to Sumatra and Borneo. Il. HOSE’S LONG-BILLED FRANCOLIN RHIZOTHERA DULITENSIS. Rhizothera dulitensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Buil. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xxvii. (1895). (Plate XT¢.) Adult Male.—Easily distinguished from the male of R. longt- vostris by having the whole chest and dveas¢ grey, and the rest of the under-parts white. Adult Female-—Differs from the female of A. Jongirostris in its generally richer colouring and in having the general colour of the outer wing-coverts dark brown, with comparatively few buff markings. PLAPE XTC. HOSE'S LONG-BILLED FRANCOLIN. THE TRUE PARTRIDGES. 143 Range-—Mount Dulit, Sarawak, Borneo, at an elevation of 4,000 feet. A pair of this fine Francolin were obtained by Mr. C. Hose. Gite TRUE PARTRIDGES. GENUS’ PERDIX, Perdix, Briss. ‘Orn. 1. p. 219 (1760). Vype, L. perarx (1..). Differs from the preceding genera in having the tail com- posed of either sixteen or eighteen feathers, nearly equal in length, the outer pair being only slightly shorter than the middle pair, which are more than half the length of the wing. The first primary flight-feather is intermediate in length between the seventh and eighth, and the fourth is slightly the longest. The feet are without spurs in either sex, and the plumage of both is alike or slightly different. The four species may conveniently be divided into two groups, each containing two species. A. ‘Tail with eighteen feathers ; chest and breast not barred with black (species 1 and 2, pp. 143-149). B. Tail with sixteen feathers; chest and breast barred with black (species 3 and 4, pp. 150-151). A. Tail with eighteen feathers ; chest and breast not barred with black. I. THE COMMON PARTRIDGE. PERDIX PERDIX. Letrao perdix, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 276 (1766). Lerdix cinerea, Latham, et auctorum plurimorum; Dresser, B. Europe, vil. p. 131, pls. 474 and 475 (1878). Perdix robusta, Homeyer and Tancré, Mitth. Orn. Ver. Wien. Wilep, 92 (1883) ; ix. pk figs: 3-5 (1885). Perdix perdix, Ogilvie-Grant, “ Field,” 21st Nov. 1891, and oth April, 1892; id. Ann. and Mag. N. H. (6), xii. p. 62 (1893); id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 187 (1893). Adult Male.—General colour above brownish-buff (washed with grey in birds from Northern Europe), with narrow, close- set, wavy cross-bars and lines of black ; lesser and median wing- 144 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. coverts and scapulars blotched on the inner web with chestnut, and with on/y buff shaft-stripes (fig. 1). Top of the head brown, rest of the head, throat, and neck chestnut; breast grey, finely mottled with black, below which is a large horse- shoe-shaped chestnut patch; rest of under-parts whitish ; first flight-feather with extremity rounded ; feet horn-grey. Total length, 12°6 inches ; wing, 6:2; tail, 3°5 ; tarsus, 1°7. Adult Female——Easily distinguished from the ma/e by having the ground-colour of the lesser and median wing-coverts and scapulars mostly black, with wide-set buff cross-bars, in addition to the longitudinal buff shaft-stripe down the middle of each feather (figs. 2 and 3); and the chestnut patch on the breast small, or sometimes absent. Immature examples of both sexes exhibit the characteristics of the adults, but may be recognised by having the first primary flight-feather porzted at the extremity instead of being rounded, and the feet yellowish horn-colour. The zmmature female has generally a well-developed chestnut horse-shoe mark on the breast. Range.—Europe and Western and Central Asia, extending in the west to Scandinavia and the British Isles, in the east to the Barabinska ‘Steppes and Altai Mountains, and in the south to Northern Spain and Portugal, Naples, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, and North Persia. As considerable interest attaches to the sexual differences in plumage in the Common Partridge, it may be worth while to republish here the substance of my articles on this subject which appeared in the ‘‘ Field” quoted above. In every text-book on ornithology which gives a description of the plumage in the male and female of the Common Partridge we find that the chief difference mentioned as dis- tinguishing the two sexes is, that the ma/e has a large chestnut horse-shoe-shaped mark on the lower breast, while in the Jemale this marking is reduced toa few chestnut spots, or some- times entirely absent. This character, as we first pointed out Fic, 3. Fy e rr ciate acne 1an Fics. 2 & 3.—Med -coverts of female Partridge. “covert of male Partridge. fox > wing lan win Fic. 1.—Med 146 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. in the “ Field, ’ is not to be depended on, for the great majority of young females—by which we mean birds of the year—have a well-developed chestnut horse-shoe, and in some, for instance birds from Leicestershire, it is quite as large and perfectly de- veloped as in the majority of adult male birds. Young females from Norfolk and Suffolk are, however, geverad/y exceptions to this rule, and, like the majority of old females, have merely a few chestnut spots on the middle of the lower breast, and in this part of England it is rare to meet with anything like a perfect horse-shoe in young birds of this sex, while examples may be found without a trace of chestnut, and are commonly known as birds with a white horse-shoe. As remarked above, the birds of the year, whether male or female, are easily distin- guished from old birds by having the first flight-feather pointed instead of rounded at the extremity. The colour of the feet and toes is also, of course, a good character for distinguishing young birds from old ones in the earlier part of the season, but at the commencement of hard weather the yellowish-brown feet, denoting youth, having generally changed to bluish-grey, are perfectly similar to those of the adult, while the pointed first flight-feather is retained till the following autumn moult. The only reliable character for distinguishing the sexes at all ages, except in very young birds in their first plumage, is in the mark- ings of the lesser and median wing-coverts and scapulars, the buff cross-bars in the female being an unmistakable mark, and quite sufficient to distinguish her from the male at a glance. It is now some years since we first drew attention to these rather important differences which had hitherto been entirely over- looked, and we may now safely say, that though many people, especially sportsmen, were at first disinclined to believe in this character being a sexual difference, and tested. it severely, it has, so far, never been found to fail. To convince gamekeepers of these facts is in most cases a hopeless task—that the horse- shoe mark on the breast is a certain sign of the male is “bred in the bone,” having been handed down as gospel for genera- ‘AOCIYLaYVd NIVINNOW WX SLwId ' THE TRUE PARTRIDGES, 147 tions. One Scotch keeper in particular, at a place where we have enjoyed many a pleasant day’s Partridge-shooting, rises before our mind, and the remembrance of this excellent and extremely obstinate soul always makes us smile. Often at lunch-time have we started him on the Partridge question, merely for the fun of hearing him argue, and stick to his opinion and that of his forefathers ; and his politely incredulous smile on being shown by the help of a knife that some parti- cular bird with a large horse-shoe mark really was a female by dissection, had to be seen to be appreciated. But there are some people who will never allow that they are mistaken, and as long as this good man remains, we may safely look forward to many a half-hour’s amusement, though the dissection of numerous Partridges does not meet with our host’s entire approval! It must be added that barren females are some- times met with in more or less perfect male plumage. One barren female (by dissection), in the National Collection, has an enormous chestnut horse-shoe mark on the breast, while the wing-coverts have one web of each feather like that of the male, and the other barred as in the ordinary female. This, and one other example, are the only two that have come under our notice, though we have examined thousands of birds, and we may safely conclude that they are by no means common. Varieties—A curious rufous variety of the Common Partridge (Plate XII.) was first described under the name of Perdix mon- tana by Brisson,* who believed it to represent a distinct species. This is not, however, the case, as every intermediate phase of plumage between the Common Partridge and the most extreme chestnut form can be found. The finest examples of this variety have the zvAo/e head and neck dull rust-red and the re- mainder of the plumage dark chestnut, except the thighs and lower part of the belly, which are whitish, as well as some bars and markings on the wing-coverts and scapulars. Brisson’s * Orn, i. p. 224, pl. xxi. fig. 2 (1760). 148 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. specimens were obtained in the mountains of Lorraine, but fine examples have also been procured in Northumberland, Cheshire, and Wiltshire in England, as well as from other localities, and there can be no doubt that this form is merely a sport of nature or accidental variety in which the chestnut colour pervades the whole plumage. Equally perfect examples of doth sexes have been obtained. Grey, cream-coloured, and white examples of the Common Partridge are sometimes met with, but are by no means common, and generally prove to be birds of the year, probably because birds of peculiar plumage are generally shot down or killed by birds of prey, &c., while still young, being more conspicuous than their neighbours. Nest.-—A slight hollow in the ground, roughly lined with a few dry grasses, &c., and sheltered by rough grass, growing crops, or bushes. Eggs.—Ten to fifteen, and sometimes as many as twenty , in shape pointed ovals; uniform pale olive-brown in colour. Average measurements, 1°4 by 1° inch. SUB.-SP. @. THE MIGRATORY PARTRIDGE, PERDIX DAMASCENA, Perdix damascena, Briss. Orn. i. p. 223 (1760), et auctorum. Starna cinerea, var. peregriana, Tschusi u. de la Torre, Ornis. 1588, p: 250. This sub-species or race is perfectly similar in plumage to the Common Partridge, and appears to be merely a smaller high-ground or Alpine form of the latter species, but the feet and toes, and apparently also the bill, are yellowish in the adult, instead of horn-grey. Total length, about ro inches ; Wine, 5:0; tall, 3°1$ tarsus; 1:4: Large flocks of the Migratory Partridge visit the plains of Southern and Central Europe during the cold season, and are reported not to associate with birds of the common species. It seems probable that this supposed sub-species may prove to be founded on certain individuals of the Common Partridge which inhabit the higher elevations throughout its range, and a THE TRUE PARTRIDGES. 149 get driven down in winter to the plains and valleys in search of food. ‘The fact is, however, that very little is known about this migratory form; and, although its existence has been well- known for more than a century, very few examples have been obtained, and in none of those which have come under our notice have the colour of the feet and toes been recorded while the birds were s#// fresh. In all the examples we have examined, the feet certainly have the appearance of having been yellow or yellowish horn-colour, but all these are birds of the year, as may at once be seen by the pointed first primary quill. In many parts of Scotland we have met with Partridges breeding on the lower moorland, and it is by no means uncom- mon to fall in with an isolated covey or two of these birds on the edges of a Grouse moor. Such “‘hill-birds” are, as a rule, smaller and more brightly coloured than the low-ground birds, and, when handled, seem to be about half the size of specimens from the southern counties of England. When measured, the differences in the length of the wing are comparatively trifling, but the average weight of the hill-birds is considerably less. II. THE BEARDED PARTRIDGE. PERDIX DAURICA. Tetrao perdix, var. dauurica, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. 11. p. 78 (1811). Perdix (Starna) cinerea, var. rupestris dauurica, Radde, Reise Ost-sib. 11. p. 304, pl. xii. (1863). mera varvara, Verr. and Desm. P. Z.'S..1863, p. 62, pl. ix:; Gould, B. Asia, vi. pl. 73 (1871); Prjev. in Rowley’s Orn. Misc, ii. p. 422 (1877). Ferdix daurica, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 193 (1893). Adult Male—General appearance of P. serdix, but paler and greyer, and easily distinguished by having the feathers on the sides of the chin and throat considerably elongated, with dark shafts, forming a beard; the middle of the breast bright buff ; 150 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. and the horse-shoe patch on the breast d/ack. ‘Total length, I1‘5 inches; wing, 6; tail, 3°5 ; tarsus, 1°5. Adult Female.—Differs from the male in having less buff on the breast, and the black patch on the breast much reduced in size, or absent. Smaller ; wing, 5°6 inches. Range.—North-eastern and Central Asia, extending north to Dauria, east to Amoorland, Manchuria, and the mountains near Pekin, west to Dzungaria and the Tian-shan Mountains, and south to the sources of the Yangtze-kiang. B. Tail with sixteen feathers ; chest and breast barred with black. III. MRS. HODGSON’S PARTRIDGE. PERDIX HODGSONIZ. Sacfa hodgsonie, Hodgson, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxv. p. 165, pl. (1857). Perdix hodgsoniea, Gould, B. Asia, vi. pl. 74 (1857); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, p. 65, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iil. p. 438 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 193 (1893). Adult Male and Female-—Forehead with a black and a white band, the fore-part of the crown chestnut; a rufous-chestnut collar ; mantle grey, shading into brownish-grey on the rest of the upper-parts, and all barred with black and rufous-buff; wings very similar to those of the male of P. Zerdix, but brighter ; cheeks, chin, and middle of throat white, the feathers cf the latter rather long, but shorter than in P. daurica, a large black patch covering the hinder part of the cheeks and side of the throat ; under-parts white, barred with black, and with a /arge black patch on the middle of the breast. Total length, 11°5 mches.; wing, 6-2:; tail-3°6 ; tarsus, 1-7. Range.—Southern Tibet, just extending into Northern India, in Cashmere, Gurhwal, Kumaon, and Sikhim. Habits—This species inhabits the desolate hillsides and THE MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGES. I51 passes, covered with stones and rocks, at elevations varying from about 12,000 to 19,000 feet, where the only vegetation is patches of mossy herbage. Very little is known either of its habits or mode of nesting, but they appear to be very similar to those of the Common Partridge, and the flight is said to be identical. Eggs—Much like those of P. pferdix; pale clay-brown, slightly tinged with a reddish-brown towards the poles. Measurements, 1°77 by 1°2 inch. IV. PRJEVALSKY’S PARTRIDGE. PERDIX SIFANICA. Perdix sifanica, Prjevalsky, Mongolia, il. p. 124 (1876) ; id. in Rowley’s Orn. Mise. ii. p. 423 (1877); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 195 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Like P. hodgsonie, but smaller, and differ chiefly in having the black patch on the hinder part of the cheek and side of the throat mach smaller, and mixed with chestnut above ; zo black patch on the middle of the breast, all the feathers being white, barred with black like the rest of the under-parts. Male: Total length, 10°5 inches; wing, 59; tail, 3:2; tar- sus, 1°6. Female: Somewhat smaller ; wing, 5°5 inches. Habits.—This species, Prjevalsky tells us, was met with principally in the rhododendron thickets in the Alpine regions of Kansu, where the mountains were covered with small tufts of Potentilla tenutfolia. It was also met with in the plains, which are, however, at an elevation of 10,000 feet above the sea-level. THE MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGES. GENUS MARGAROPERDIX. Marsgaroperdix, Reichenb. Av. Syst. Nat. p. xxviil. (1852). Type, JZ. madagascariensis (Scop.). Tail about half the length of the wing and composed of is LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the middle pair of feathers being considerably longer than the next pair; the first primary flight-feather is intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh, and not much shorter than the longest. ‘The tarsus is not provided with a spur in either sex, and the plumage is entirely different in the two sexes. Only one rather small species is known. I. THE MADAGASCAR PARTRIDGE. MARGAROPERDIX MADAGASCARIENSIS. Tetrao madagarensis, Scop. (ex Sonnerat), Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. pt. ii. p. 93 (1786). Perdix striatus, Lath.; Temm. Pl:-Col. v. pl. 39 [Noweeh (1823). Margaroperdix striatus, Auctorum, passim, Grandidier and Milne-Edwards, Hist. Madagas. Oils. i. p. 487, pls. 199- 201A (1885). Margaroperdix madagascariensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 196 (1893). Adult Male—General colour of upper-parts reddish-brown, with whitish shaft-stripes, and mostly with rufous or buff cross- bars ; a line of black feathers with whitish shaft-stripes down the middle of the head ; sides of head and throat black, with white stripes over the eye and along the sides of the throat ; fore-neck and middle of chest chestnut ; sides grey ; middle of breast and belly black, with oval white spots ; sides and flanks mostly chestnut; tail black, barred with reddish-white ; bill black. Total length, 10 inches; wing, 5a seule. Adult Female—General colour above black, mixed with olive- © brown, with pale shaft-stripes and bars as in the male ; throat, sides of the head, and under-parts mostly rufous-buff, the latter with concentric black lines on each feather ; sides and flanks barred with black. Range.—Island of Madagascar. 4 ‘ J THE INDIAN BUSH-QUAILS. re THE INDIAN BUSH-QUAILS. GENUS PERDICULA. Perdicula, Hodgs. Beng. Sport. Mag. ix. p. 344 (1837). Type, P. astatica (Lath.). Tail composed of twelve feathers, rather feeble, but much stiffer than the upper tail-coverts ; less than half the length of the wing. First flight-feather intermediate in length between the seventh and ninth; fourth slightly the longest. Tarsus armed in the male with a blunt wart-like spur. Plumage of sexes different. Only two very small species are known. I. THE JUNGLE BUSH-QUAIL. PERDICULA ASIATICA. Perdix astatica, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 649 (1790). Perdix cambayensis, Temm. Pl. Col. v. pl. 41 [No. 447] (1828). Coturnix pentah, Sykes ; J. E. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 45, | fig. 3 (1834). Perdicula rubicola, Hodgs. Beng. Sport. Mag. ix. p. 344 (1837). Perdicula astatica, Gould, B. As. vil. pl. 4 (1863); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 109, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. i. p. 440 (1890) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 198 (1893). Perdicula argoondah, Gould (nec Sykes), B. As. vii. pl. 5 (1863). Adult Male—General colour above brown, with pale buff shaft-stripes on the back, and black bars and blotches on the scapulars and wing-coverts; forehead, eyebrow-stripes, and throat rufous-chestnut, with whitish edges ; under-parts white, with regular black cross-bars ; immer webs of primary flight- feathers not barred with rufous-buff. Total length, 6°4 inches; mile,.3.3 ; tail, 1°55 tarsus, 0°95. Adult Female-—Has the throat rufous-chestnut like the male, but differs in having no buff shaft-streaks on the upper-parts, and the under-parts uniform vinaceous-buff. Range.—India and Ceylon. 154 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Habits——According to Mr. Hume, “ moderately thick forésts and jungles, hills, ravines, and broken ground, not too deficient in cover, and rich cultivation, if not in too damp and undrained situations, from near the sea-level to an elevation of four to five thousand feet, are the ordinary resorts of the Jungle Bush- Quail. Very considerable differences in rainfall affect them but little, provided the ground is hilly, raviny, or well drained, and cover sufficient, and they are abundant, as on the Western Ghats, where the rainfall is over 100 inches, and on scrub-clad hills in Rajputana, where it certainly falls short of 20 inches.” Tickell says: ‘‘ They prefer stony, gravelly places, amongst thorny bushes, such as the jujube or bér, or tracts of stunted Sal, Assun, and Polas (or Dhak), congregating in coveys of eight to a dozen under thickets, whence of an evening they emerge into adjacent fields, meadows, and clumps of grass to feed. They lie very close, suffering themselves to be almost trodden upon, and then rise at once out of some small bush, with a piping whistle, and such a sudden start and whir, instantly flying off to all parts of the compass—including some- times a close shave of the sportsman’s countenance,—that a more difficult bird to hit could nowhere be found, especially as their flight is prodigiously rapid, and directed so as barely to skim the upper twigs of the bushes. They do not go far, but, when once down, are hardly ever flushed again till they have reunited. This they lose as little time as possible in doing, running like mice through the herbage to some central spot, where the oldest cock bird of the covey is piping all hands together. Although so gregarious and sociable, these birds are very quarrelsome, and their extreme pugnacity leads to their easy capture. . . . . Bush-Quails are not often caught by hawking, as the Uriyas do not care to trust their trained sparrow-hawks (shickras and besras) so much amongst the jungle. For the table they are hard and tasteless, and they are valued by the natives chiefly for their fighting qualities, which do not appear to degenerate even after long confinement.” THE INDIAN BUSH-QUAILS. 155 Nest.—Neatly made of roots and fine grass, ina depression in the ground sheltered by a bush or tuft of grass. Eggs.—Slightly pointed ovals, varying in colour from creamy- to brownish-white; five to seven in number. Average measure- ments, 1°0 by 0°85 inch. II. THE ROCK BUSH-QUAIL. PERDICULA ARGOONDAH. Cauriix arsoondah, Sykes, P. Z.S. 1832, p. 153; id. Lrans. ZOO SoCs p. 17, pl. ti. (1841). Perdicula argoondah, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, i. p. 117, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ill. p. 441 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 200 (1893). Adult Male-——Like the male of P. as‘atica, but the upper- parts are barred with buff and black or grey; the rufous on the head and throat is dull brick-colour, not bordered with white ; and the quills are barred on ¢he zmneras well as the outer webs with rufous-buff. Total length, 6°5 inches ; wing, 3°3 ; tail, 1°7; tarsus, I. Adult Female.— Has the ¢hroat white, tinged with vinaceous ; the upper-parts vinaceous-brown and under-parts dull vina- ceous, a few faint buff and dusky markings on the former and the middle of the belly whitish-buff. Range.—India ; ? Ceylon (Zayard). Mauritius [¢troduced]. Habits——This species appears to have nearly the same wide and irregular distribution throughout the Peninsula of India as its near ally, the Jungle Bush-Quail, but affects very different localities, the two forms being apparently complementary to one another. The Rock Bush-Quail prefers the dry rocky plains or low hillocks, thinly covered with scattered thorn- bushes, and barren sparsely-cultivated districts ; and though both species may occasionally be met with on the same stubble where their ranges meet, it may be generally stated that, where one is found, the other does not occur. The habits of the 156 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Rock Bush-Quail are perfectly similar to those of its ally, and, like it, the birds generally feed in company, even in the breed- ing-season, when ‘‘newly-hatched birds may frequently be seen running amongst half-a-dozen old ones” (AZtken). Nest.—Placed under a tussock of grass, and neatly made of dry grass placed in a shallow, saucer-shaped, depression in the ground. Eggs.—F ive to seven in number, generally rather pointed towards the small end; uniform glossy white, slightly tinged with brownish-buff. Average measurements, I'o2 by 0°84 inch. THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAILS. GENUS MICROPERDIX. Microperdix, Gould, B. As. vii. pl. ili. (1862). Type, JZ. erythrorhyncha (Sykes). Very similar in size and general appearance to the last genus, but the tail is composed of only ten feathers, and the first primary flight-feather is about equal to the tenth, the sixth being slightly the longest. The ¢ars¢ in the males are without any trace of a spur. Only three very small species are known. I, THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAIL. MICROPERDIX ERYTHRORHYNCHA. Coturnix erythrorhyncha, Sykes, P. Z: S. 1832, Pp. 1535.92 22 Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 44, fig. 2 (1834); Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. il..p: 16;pl. 1184 Perdicula erythrorhyncha, Auctorum, pass.m. Microperdix erythrorhyncha, Gould, B.’As. vii. pl. 3 (1862) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 123, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 442 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 203 (1893). Adult Male —General colour above earthy-brown, with rounded THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAILS. 157 black spots, blotched, especially on the wings, with black; the latter being also marked with whitish shaft-streaks and buff cross-bars ; top of the head, except the middle of the crown, black, with a zarvow well-defined white band between the eyes, continued backwards on each side of the head and forming a U-shaped white mark ; throat white ; chest greyish-brown, with a rufous wash, and shading gradually into rufous-chestnut on the rest of the under-parts; the sides and flanks with rather large black white-edged spots. Total length, 7 inches ; wing, ee4; tail, 19 ; tarsus, 1. Adult Female.—Like the male, but the black on the head and the white throat are replaced by dull rufous-chestnut. Range.—South-western hills of the Peninsula of India, ex- tending from Bombay to the Cardamum Hills in Travancore. Habits.—Davison says: “The Painted Bush-Quail is very abundant on the Nilgiris and their slopes, and is not un- common in the Wynad. They always occur in bevies, num- bering eight to twelve birds. ‘They of course avoid the inner depths of the jungles, but are found on the outskirts, especially where there is good dense cover, such as the common brake- fern; but their favourite resort is rather rocky ground, inter- spersed with bushes and dense clumps of fern and high grass, especially when such places abut on or are near cultivation, or any road along which cattle, carrying grain, habitually pass. “About the station of Ootacamund they are, even to this day, not uncommon; and in the grounds of almost all the outlying houses, where these are tolerably wooded, one or more coveys are sure to be found. In the mornings and evenings they are very fond of coming out into the open, and I have met with a dozen or more coveys on the road ina morning’s ride between Coonoor and Ooty. They are tame little birds and will seldom rise when met with on a road, unless hard pressed or suddenly surprised ; they content them- selves with running on ahead, occasionally stopping to pick up 50 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. a grain or an insect, until they think they are being too closely followed, when they quietly slip out of sight into the first bit of cover they come to. ‘When retreating they keep uttering a very rapidly and continually repeated note, in a very low tone, hardly to be heard unless when one is quite close to them. ‘“When flushed they do, as a rule, rise, as Jerdon says, all together, usually scattering in different directions, but this is by no means invariably the case, and sometimes, even before a dog, they will rise singly, or in couples, several minutes often intervening between the rise of the first and last birds. . . . - “When a covey has been flushed and scattered, one bird commences after a few minutes calling in a very low tone, another immediately taking it up, then another, and so on. They then begin cautiously to reunite, uttering all the time their low note of alarm, moving very slowly, with continual halts while in cover, but dashing rapidly across any open space they may have to cross.” Nest.—Like that of the Rock Bush-Quail. Eggs—Ten or more; rather long ovals. Uniform glossy pale brownish-buff. Average measurements, 1°22 by o’g1 inch. i Il, BLEWITT’S PAINTED BUSH-QUAIL. MICROPERDIX BLEWITTI. Microperdix blewitt?, Hume, Str. F. ii. p. 512 (1874); id. and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 130, pl. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 204 (1893). Adult Male-—Closely resembles the male of AZ. exy¢throrhyncha, but is smaller and distinguished by having the white band be- tween the eyes much wider and the black forehead much narrower, the chest greyer, and the rest of the under-parts paler. ‘Total length, 6°8 inches; wing, 3°1 ; tail, 1°6; tarsus, 0°95. a lilexs divyg Trvno “HSN daLNIvd HNdINVW my THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAILS. 159 Adult Female—Like the female of JZ. erythrorhyncha, but paler. Range.—Central Provinces of India. III THE MANIPUR PAINTED BUSH-QUAIL. MICROPERDIX MANIPURENSIS. Perdicula manipurensis, Hume, Str. F. ix. p. 467 (1880). Microperdix manipurensis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Xxii. p. 204 (1893). (Plate XIII.) Adult Male—Above dark grey, barred (and blotched on the wings) with black ; forehead, eyebrow-stripes, and throat dar} chestnut ; neck and chest grey, shading into ¢azwzy on the rest of the under-parts, which have a black shaft-stripe and wide black cross-bar on each feather. Total length, 6-5 inches ; wine, 3°45 tail, 2; tarsus, 1°05. Adult Female.—Differs from the male in having zo chestnut on the head or throat, the latter being zw/zt7sh, and the breast and belly are buff. Range.—Sikhim and South-eastern Manipur Hills. This extremely handsome little species was discovered by Mr. A. O. Hume during his expedition to Manipur, and was only met with in one place, in a patch of thick elephant-grass jungle, where eleven adult and immature specimens were 9b- tained. A single bird was subsequently shot in the same dis- trict, and there is also a skin of this species in the British Museum which is said to have been obtained in Sikhim. No doubt the bird occurs in the intermediate districts in suitable localities and will be found by future collectors, but owing to its skulking habits and small size, it has hitherto been over- looked and the only specimens so far known are those men- tioned above. It appears to live entirely in the almost im- penetrable patches of elephant-grass, only venturing into the more open spaces in the early morning when feeding, and never rises till very hard pressed, preferring, if possible, to escape by 160 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. running. The specimens obtained by Mr. Hume (numbering two coveys of six and five birds respectively, all of which were shot) were first seen in an open glade in a patch of elephant- grass about two miles square, and with the aid of about a hundred beaters were eventually obtained after two days’ arduous work. After reading his account of how these speci- mens were obtained (in the volume of “Stray Feathers” cited above), some idea may be formed of the labour and expense entailed in forming the magnificent ‘‘ Hume collection” of Indian birds which, thanks to the generosity of that great orni- thologist, now forms part of the National Collection. THE TREE-PARTRIDGES, GENUS ARBORICOLA. Arboricola, Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Misc. p. 85 (1844). Type, A. torgueola (Valenc.). Tail less than half the length of the wing, composed of four- teen short, somewhat rounded feathers, the middle pair being rather the longest. First flight-feather intermediate in length between the eighth and tenth ; fourth and fifth slightly the longest. Throat and fore-part of the neck often thinly covered with feathers or nearly naked. Nails Zong and nearly straight. A supra-orbital chain of bones* (fig. 1). Sexes similar in plumage or very nearly so, with the excep- tion of A. torqueola. A concealed patch of downy feathers on the sides of the body under the wings, g7ey. I. COMMON TREE-PARTRIDGE. ABORICOLA TORQUEOLA. Perdix torqueola, Valenc, Dict. Sci. Nat. xxxvili. p. 435 (1825). * Mr. W. T. Blanford has called my attention to the fact that two speci- mens of A. chloropus in the British Museum bear MS. notes by Mr. Wood- Mason stating that the supra-orbital chain of bones peculiar to all the other - species of Arboricola is absent, A. chlovopus and A. charltoni belong to THE TREE-PARTRIDGES. TOI Perdix megapodia, Temm. Pl. Col. v. pls. 35 and 36[Nos. 462, 463] (1828). Perdix olivacea, J. %. Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool. i. pl. 57-(1830-32). Arboricola torqueola, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of india, 1. p. 60, pl. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. But. Mus. xxiiap. 207 (1893). Adult Male-—Crown bright ches‘nut ; back olive-brown, Jarred with black , wing widely margined with chestnut, and blotched with black on the coverts ; sides of the face and throat black, the feathers more or less edged with white ; fore-neck white ; chest grey, shading into white on the under-parts; flank- feathers grey, edged with chestnut and with a white central spot. Momleleneth, 11°73 wnches ; wing, 6 ; tail, 2°7; tarsus, 1°7. Adult Female.—Differs chiefly from the male in having the crown d7vown with black shaft-stripes; the sides of the face, throat, and neck rust-coloured, spotted with black ; and the white central spots on the flank-feathers much larger. rather a distinct group of A7bortcola, and on examination we find that the supra-orbital chain of bones is wanting 77 doth species (fig. 2). This being the case, Mr. Blanford proposes, very rightly as we think, to place these two species in a different genus, for which the name 77ofzcoperdix, Blyth, has already been proposed. 9 M 162 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, Range.— Outer ranges of the Himalayas, from 5,000 to 14,000 feet, and extending from the eastern borders of Chamba to Sikhim, and southwards to the Manipur Hills.* Wilson gives the following account of this species :—“ This handsome little Partridge inhabits the forests and jungles, and is never found in open spots or cultivated fields. It is most numerous on the lower ranges in the wooded ravines and hill- sides, from the summit to near the base, but does not occur at the foot of the hills or low down in the valleys. It is not so common in the interior, but is met with to an elevation of about 9,ooo feet. It is rather solitary in its habits, generally found in pairs ; but occasionally, in autumn and winter, five or six will collect together and keep about one spot. “Tt is a quiet, unsuspicious bird; when alarmed it utters a soft whistle, and generally creeps away through the under- wood, if not closely pressed, in preference to rising. Its flight is rapid, oftener across the hill than downwards, and seldom very far; in general, not more than eighty or one hundred yards. Its food being very similar, it is met with in the same places as the Koklass Pheasant, and both are often found to- gether. Indeed, in winter, in some of the forests of the in- terior, Tragopans, Moonal, Koklass, and Kalij Pheasants, and the Hill Partridge, are at all times all found within a compass of fifty or sixty yards. “Tt feeds on leaves, roots, maggots, seeds, and berries ; in confinement it will eat grain; in a large cage or enclosure its motions are very lively, and it runs about with great sprightli- ness from one part to another. It occasionally mounts into the trees, but not so often asa forest bird might be expected to do. “Tn the forests of the interior, in spring, it is often heard calling at all hours of the day. ‘The call is a single loud soft whist’e, and may be easily imitated so as to entice the bird * I have seen specimens obtained by Col, Godwin-Austen in this locality. THE TREE-PARTRIDGES., 163 quite close. At other seasons it is never heard to call, except when disturbed.” Hodgson says that “they constantly perch. At the top of Pulchook I flushed a covey of eight or ten, which flew widely scattered, all alighting on the highest trees.” Eggs.—Said (no doubt correctly) to be pure white, and six to eight in number. Il, THE BLACK-THROATED TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA ATRIGULARIS. Arboricola atrogularis, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xviii. p. 819 (1849) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 79, pl. (1879) ; Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. ill. p. 439 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Xxii. p. 209 (1893). Adult Male and Female.— Above olive-brown, barred with black on the back, and much the same as in A. /orgueola ,; throat black ; feathers of fore-neck black, edged with white; chest grey, shading into white on the middle of the upper-parts ; flank-feathers grey, edged with olive-brown, and with an oval white spot near the end of the shafts. Total length of maze, To’o inches; wing, 5°6; tail, 2°2; tarsus, 1°7. Female rather smaller. Range.—North-eastern India, extending from Eastern Assam to Chittagong and Manipur, and eastwards to the Kachin Hills east cf Bhamo. Habits—Mr. J. R. Cripps found this species common in Sylhet, frequenting the hillocky ground covered with dense forest. He says :—“ They are very fond of feeding about the banks of the small rivulets that meander among the hillocks which are scattered about the district. They feed on insects, for which they scratch amongst the decaying leaves that carpet the ground, seeds and berries of various kinds, and on young shoots. M 2 164 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. ‘Though greatly affecting dense forests, these birds are also partial to bamboo-jungle. : “ Their call, which is often heard, papeatally towards dusk, is a rolling whistle, zeZez, whew, repeated many times, and wind- ing up with a sharper and more quickly uttered zwhew. The sound is very easily imitated, and the birds are easily enticed to approach one by the imitation, and this is the way in which natives usually secure them. “This species certainly perches at times, for I have seen one fly down from a small tree.” Nest.—A mere lining of leaves and twigs placed in a slight depression at the foot of a large tree (C77ffs). Eggs.—Four in number; pure white, broad ovals, rather pointed towards the small end; shell fine, rather glossy. Average measurements, 1°38 by 1°12 inch. III, THE HAINAN TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA ARDENS. Arboricola ardens, Styan, Ibis, 1893, pp. 56, 436, pl. xii. ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 210 (1893). Adult Male.—In general plumage like A. afriguaris, but with an orange-red patch of feathers on the fore-part of the neck and middle of the chest, the sides of the neck and under-parts being faintly washed with the same colour. Total length, 8 mehes; wing, 2°35 tally 1°75 3 tarsus, 1-2; Bek ed une of Hainan. This remarkable species is at present only known from a single skin, the property of Herr Schmacker. 1V. THE FORMOSAN TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA CRUDIGULARIS. Oreoperdix crudigularis, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1864, p. 426. Arboricola crudigularts, Blyth; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Us psn (1893): Adult Male and Female.—Very similar to A. atrigu/arts, but the barring on the back is wider and darker; the chin, upper-part THE TREE-PARTRIDGES, 165 of the throat and fore-neck are white, and the lower part of the threat black. Yotal length, 9°5 inches ; wing, 5°5; tail, 2°2; tarsus, 1°55. Range.— Mountains of the interior of Formosa. V. THE ARACAN TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA INTERMEDIA. Arboricola intermedia, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxiv. p. 277 (1856) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. Dees, pl (1s 70); Oates, B. Burmah, ii; p. 327 (1883). and ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 440 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 211 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Upper-parts olive-brown without black bars on the back, though sometimes the feathers have dusky margins ; otherwise the plumage is much like that of the female of A. dorgueola, but the chin and throat are d/ack, and the fore- neck bright rufous. Range.—North-eastern India, extending from the Garo and Naga Hills to the borders of Arakan and Pegu and eastwards to Bhamo. VI. THE RUFOUS-THROATED TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA RUFIGULARIS. Arboricola rufogularis, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xviii. p. 819 (1849) ; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 75, pl. (1879) ; Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 439 (1890) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Sie 2h 2) (1303). Adult Male and Female-—Resemble the sexes of A. znterm.aa, but the feathers of the chin and throat are rust-red spotted with black, as in the female of A. torqgucola; from the latter they are easily distinguished by the adsence of black bars on the back 2.lotal length, 11. inches ; wing, 5°6; tail, 2°3; tarsus, 7. Range.— Lower outer ranges of the Himalayas from Kumzon 166 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. to at least as far east as the Darrung district, north of the Daphla Hills. It is also common on the higher ranges of Tenasserim, on Mooleyit, but has not been met with in the intervening countries. Habits——The Rufous-throated Tree-Partridge, which, in general appearance, closely resembles the female of the Common Tree-Partridge (A. torgueola) but is at once dis- tinguished by the absence cf black bars on the back, inhabits a much lower range than that species, not exceeding an elevation of about 6,000 feet in the summer, while in cold weather it may be met with nearly at the bottom of the valleys. It is also more often met with in coveys than the common species, but its general habits are otherwise perfectly similar, though apparently it is more given to perching on trees, when fiushed by a dog oz otherwise. Davison, who collected many on the higher slopes of Mooleyit in ‘Tenasseeee tells us that he has shot three or four when thus perched, before the others attempted to move, and that these birds sometimes settled in trees within a few feet of him, being apparently far tamer than the Himalayan examples of this species. Nest and Eggs. —Very similar to those of 4. atrigudaris. An egg measures 1°5 by 1°2 inch. VII. SONNERAT’S TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA GINGICA. La Perdrix de Gingt, Sonnerat, Voy. Ind. Orient. ii. p. 167 (1782). Tetrao gingicus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. il. p. 760 (1788). Arboricola gingica, Blyth, Ibis, 1870, p. 1743; Ogilvie-Grant, Ibis, 1892, 395, pl. ix.;-id. Cat. B. But. Mus: sxupa ene (1893). Adult.—General colouring above similar to that of 4. riuj- gularis, but easily distinguished by having a ¢viangular black patch on the base of the fore-neck, succeeded by a narrower white, and a wider band of deep maroon. XIV. PLATE MANDELLI'S TREE-PARTRIDGE. THE TREE-PARTRIDGES 167 Although this species has been known to science for more than a century, its habitat still remains unknown ; and, so far as I am aware, the only specimen at present known is that in the Leyden Museum. It has been suggested that the Philippine Islands might probably prove to be the home of this bird, but although most of them have now been visited by various naturalists, we are still no nearer the solution of the Doystery. VIII. MANDELLI’S TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA MANDELLII. Arborophila mandeliit, Hume, Str. F. ii. p. 449 (1874); iil. p. 202, pl. 1.(1875). Arboricola mandeliii, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, u. p. 83, pl. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus: xxi, p. 214 (1893). (Plate XIV.) Adult Male and Female-—Crown dark chestnut, shading into brown on the nape; sides of the neck and cheeks rust-red, spotted with black ; feathers of the back olive-brown, margined but not barred with dusky ; eyebrow-stripes grey; throat and fore-neck rust-red, divided from the rich chestnut chest by a white and a black band ; breast and belly grey. ‘Total length, Pmamches ; wing, 5°4; tail, 2°2 ; tarsus, 1°6. Nothing is known of the habits or nidification of this re- markable species, the only specimens as yet obtained having been collected by the late Mr. Mandelli’s hunters in the damp dense jungles of the Bhotan Doars and Native Sikhim. The whole of that ornithologist’s splendid collection, having been purchased at his death by Mr. A. O. Hume, now forms part of the Hume collection in the British Museum. IX. THE JAVAN TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA JAVANICA. Javan Partridge, Brown, ll. Zool. p. 40, pl. 17 (1776). Letrao javanicus, Gmel. §. N. i. pt. 11, p. 761 (1788). 163 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. Arboricola javanica, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 214 (1893). Adult Male and Female.—Crown reddish-brown, shading into rusty on the forehead and bordered by a black band, which encircles the eye, and is continued down the middle of the rust- red nape, and joins a second black band surrounding the base of the neck ; upperparts grey, barred with black ; cheeks and throat rust-coloured; chest grey; vest of underparts and franks chestnut. ‘Total length, 11 inches; wing, 5°6; tail, 2°2; farsus, 1°58. Range.— Mountains of Java. X. THE RED-BILLED TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA RUBRIROSTRIS. Peloperdix rubrirostris, Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. xiv. p. 251 (1879); Snelleman, in Veth’s Midden-Sumatra, iv. P1460, pl til. (1837): Arboricola rubrirostris, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, xxii. p. 215 (1893). Adult Male—Head, throat, and neck black, with a few white spots on the sides of the crown and throat, and a small patch of the same colour on the chin; upper-parts reddish olive-brown, barred with black ; chest brown ; upper breast and sides of the belly white, with a large black spot on each feather; middle of belly white ; flanks black, barred with white. ‘Total length, 9°6 inches ; wing, 5°2 ; tail, 1-7; tarsus, 1°75. Adult Female-—Has rather more white on the lores and chin and is somewhat smaller. Mountains of Sumatra. Range, This is a very rare bird in collections, very few specimens having as yet been obtained, but its habits, so far as they are known, appear to be similar to those of its allies. The colora- tion of the under-parts is peculiar, and very different from that of any of the other species of this genus. THE TREE-PARTRIDGES, 169 XI. THE BROWN-BREASTED TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA BRUNNEIPECTUS. Arboricola brunneopectus, Vickell ; Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxiv. p. 276 (1855); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of Ind. Weepeeo7, pl. (1679); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B: Brit. Mus. xi. 200 (1593). Adult Male and Female——Crown brownish-black ; forehead, wide eyebrow-stripes, cheeks, and throat buff; a black band com- mencing at the gape, surrounds the eye, and ends in a black patch on the side of the neck ; upper-parts olive-brown, barred with black; wings marked with pale olive and chestnut, blotched with black ; sides and front of neck spotted with black ; chest brownish-ochre, shading into whitish on the belly; flank-feathers with a /arge white spot near the extremity, partially or wholly bordered with black. ‘Total length, 11 inches; wing, 5°6 ; tail, 25; tarsus, 1°7. Range.—Evergreen forests of Burma and North Tenasserim ; extending from the Karen and Tonghoo Hills through Eastern Pegu as far south as Tavoy, Tenasserim. Habits.— This species is met with from nearly sea-level to an elevation of about 4,500 feet. Mr. Darling, who had many op- portunities of studying its habits in the vicinity of Thoungyah, usually found it between the months of September and Novem- ber in coveys of from three to ten or even more birds, “but,” he says, ‘owing to their shyness and dead-leaf colour, they were difficult to secure. They feed amongst the dead leaves on seeds, insects, and small shells, and are very restless, giving a scratch here, a short run and another scratch there, and so on, uttering a soft cooing whistle all the time. When disturbed by a man, they always disappeared into the dense undergrowths ; but a dog always sent them flying into some small tree, whence they would at once begin calling to one another, whistling first low and soft, and going up higher and shriller, till the call was taken up by another bird. I often got quite close to them, but the instant 179 LLOYD S NATUPAL MISTORY, I was seen, away they ran helter-skelter in all directions, and I could only now and then catch a glimpse of the little fellows scuttling through the bushes. Of course they are entirely a forest bird, though they may be seen just at the outskirts of - a wood.” XII. TREACHER’S TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA HY PERRY PER A, Bambusicola hyperythra, Sharpe, Ibis, 1879, p. 266 ; Gould, DB. Asia; vi.-pl. 71 (1879). Arboricola hyperythra, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 217 (1893). Adult.— Differs from 4. drwnnetpectus in having the crown jet black; the broad eyebrow-stripes, ear-coverts, and cheeks ashy- grey ; and the chin, throat, and under-parts reddish-chestnut. The flank-feathers have the same peculiar black and white marking as in the last species. -Total length, 10°5 inches; wine.5°2.; tall, 2-2 5 tarsus, 1:6, Range.—North-west Borneo; mountains above the Lawas River. Since the present species was described in 1879 by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, from a single specimen obtained by Mr. Treacher in the above locality, no more examples have been obtained, and the type in the Oxford Museum remains unique. It is just possible that a larger series of specimens than we have at present had the opportunity of examining, may show that this species and the following (A. exythrophrys) are stages of plu- mage of the same bird (see Sharpe, Ibis, 1894, p. 539), but we do not believe this to be the case, for in none of the specimens of the latter species that we have examined—and we have had a good series before us—is the grey eyebrow-stripe (apparently a sign of immaturity) at all marked, and it is never found in — adult specimens with the crown black THE TREE-PARTRIDGES. IF XIII. WHITEHEAD’S TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA BREE RO PTR Ys. Baimbusicola erythrophry's, Sharpe, Ibis, 1890, pp. 139, 284, 288, 280, pl. iv. Arboricola erythrophrys, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. peaie (1893). Adult Male-—Closely allied to the last species, A. hyperythra, but distinguished by having the eyebrow-stripes d/ach, like the crown, in the fully adult birds, xs¢zed in less mature birds, and greyish in the young (which have the crown é7ow/z, only slightly spotted with black, and the throat whitish-buff) ; chin and throat black in the fully adult, rust-coloured in younger birds. Moral length, 10 inches; wing, 5°8; tail, 1°8; tarsus, 1°85. Adult Female-—Appears to differ from the male in never get- ting the black on the throat. Range.—North Borneo ; the dense bamboo-jungles of Mount Kina Balu, from 2,000 to 4,000 feet. XIV. HORSFIELD’S TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARDORICOLA ORIENTALIS. Perdix orientalis, Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 184 (1822). Perdix personata, Horsfield, Zool. Res. Java, pl. 61 (1824). Arboricola ortentalis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 218 (1893). Adult—Crown and nape blackish-brown ; eyebrow-stripe, sides of the head, and throat white; upper-parts dark brown, fringed with blackish ; wing mixed with olive-brown and orange- red, and blotched with black ; a dark brown band along each side of the head enclosing the eye; chest and breast brownish- grey ; belly whitish; flanks grey, with wide irregular bars of black and white. Total lenvth, 11 inches; wing, 59; tail, 2°5 ; tarsus, .1°3; Range-—Moun‘ains of East Java; forests of 3,000 feet. 172 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY, Nothing is known of the habits of this rare bird, which, so far as we are aware, is only known from the unique type obtained by Horsfield in the province of Blambangan, East Java. . XV. THE SUMATRAN TREE-PARTRIDGE. ARBORICOLA SUMATRANA. Arborophila sumatrana, Ogilvie-Grant, Ann. Mag. N. H. (6), Vill. p. 297 (1891). Arboricola sumatrana, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. Pp: 219 (1893). Adult.— Differs from A. orrentadis in having the crown and upper-parts golden-brown, fringed and strongly barred with black ; no white eyebrow-stripe ; and the flank-feathers zezth broad regular three-fold bands of black, white and black at - the extremity. Range-—Mountains of Central Sumatra, at about 3,000 feet. The type-specimen has been in the Museum for many years, but its origin is unknown. Dr. H. O. Forbes procured some specimens during his travels in Sumatra, but no one else seems to have met with the species. THE WOOD-PARTRIDGES. GENUS TROPICOPERDIX. Tropicoperdix, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxviii. p. 415 (1859). Type, Z. chloropus, Blyth. Characters the same as those given for Arboricola, but the peculiar supra-orbital chain of bones is wanfzng* and the con- cealed patch of downy feathers on each side of the body under the wing is pure white. I. THE GREEN-LEGGED WOOD-PARTRIDGE. TROPICOPERDIX CHLOROPUS. Tropicoperdix chloropus (Tickell), Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. Xxvili. p. 415 (1859). * See fig. 2, p. 161, and footnote, p. 160. THE WOOD-PARTRIDGES. 173 Arboricola chlorcpus, Tickell, J. As. Soc. Beng. xxviii. p. 453 (1859); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. g1, pl. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 219 (1893). Adult Male and Female-—Crown and upper-parts warm brown, barred and marked with black ; wing-coverts mixed with buff and rufous ; eyebrow-stripes black and white, and bordering the crown and sides of the nape; sides of face and throat white, the neck rust-colour, all these parts dotted with black ; chest brown, barred with black; middle of the breast rust-colour, shading into whitish on the belly ; flanks buff, z~7egu/ary barred and marked with black. Range.—From the bases of the hills north of Tonghoo and the astern Pegu Hills, and extending as far south as Tavoy in Tenasserim. Also recorded from Cochin China. Habits.—This species appears in Tenasserim to be confined to the lower forests and jungles that skirt the bases of the hills, generally avoiding the more dense hill-forests of the higher elevations, where Sey hy S J Var CAN aN eg 3 RED-CRESTED -WOOD-PARTRIDSGE TILE WOOD-PARTRIDGES. 177 Adult Male—Also very closely allied to C. oculea, but the mantle is very black and sharply defined from the chestnut of the crown and nape, the concentric white lines are narrower and more regular than in typical C. ocw/ea from the Malay Peninsula, and the throat is darker and more rufous-chestnut. Range.—Mount Dulit, Sarawak, North Borneo. The only known example of this extremely handsome species was obtained by Mr. C. Hose in the month of May on the moss- clad summit of Mount Dulit, at an elevation of 5,000 feet. THE CRESTED WOOD-PARTRIDGES. GENUS ROLLULUS Lollulus, Bonnat. Tabl. Encycl. Méth. i. Introd. p. xciii. (1790). Type, 2. rowlroul (Scop.). A tuft of long hair-like bristles on the middle of the fore- head. A long full hairy crest in the sa/e. Tail short, soft, and rounded ; composed cf twelve feathers ; about two-fifths of the length of the wing. First primary flight-feather equal in length to the tenth; fifth slightly the longest. Claw on the hind-toe gucte rudimentary. A naked patch of skin round the eye. Sexes entirely differ- ent in plum7ge. Only one species is known. if bum RED-CRESTED WOOD-PARTRIDGE. ROLLULUS ROULROUL. Phasianus roulroul, Scop. Del. Flor. et Faun. Insubr. ii. p. 93 (iraG): Phastanus cristatus, Sparrm. Mus. Carls. fase. iii, pl. 64 (1788). Letrao viridis, Gmel. 5. 'N. i. pt. ii. p. 761 (1788) [ female). Letrao porphyrio, Shaw and Nodd. Nat. Misc. ii. pl. 84. Rollulus roulroul, auctorum, passim; Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 103, pl. (1879); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, xxii: p. 225 (1893). (Plate XV.) 9 N 178 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. Adult Male—Head and neck black, except a white band between the eyes, and the long, hairy, maroon-coloured crest which covers the hinder part of the head; upper-parts rich green, glossed with steel-blue ; wings dark brown, mixed with buff, except the inner coverts and scapulars, which are maroon, glossed with purplish-blue ; under-parts black, glossed with blue. Totallength, 10°8 inches; wing, 5°5; tail, 2°3; tarsus, 1.7. Adult Female.—FHlead blackish-grey, moderately crested ; rest of the plumage bright grass-green, washed with grey on the belly, except the wings, which resemble those of the male, but the inner wing-coverts and scapulars are mostly chestnut, only edged with maroon, and but slightly glossed. Size rather smaller. Range—From Southern ‘Tenasserim and Western Siam, south through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, Billis ton, and Borneo. Habits—The only notes on the habits of this bird worth recording are those by the late Mr. W. Davison, who writes : “This species is always found in small parties of six or eight or more, males and females, keeping to the dense forest, and never venturing into the open, living on berries, seeds, tender shoots and leaves, and insects of various sorts. They do rot scratch about nearlyso much as the Avdoricolas, and are much quicker and more lively in their movements, much like a Quail, running hither and thither. ‘They rise well before a dog, but it is hard to flush them without. Their note is a soft, mellow, pleasant whistle, which is chiefly heard in the morning, but which they also utter when calling to each other after they have been separated. Like that of A. rufigularis, their note is very easily imitated, and they will answer the call readily.” THE BLACK WOOD-PARTRIDGES. GENUS MELANO- PERDIX. Melanoperdix, Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 580 (1864). Type, JAZ. nigra (Vig.). Fail short, soft, and rounded ; composed of twelve feathers ; more than half the length of the wing. THE QUAILS. 179 First primary flight-feather equal in length to the tenth, fifth rather the longest. JVo occipital crest in either sex. Lill unusually stout and thick. Hind-toe with a rudimentary claw. Sexes entirely different in plumage. Only one species is known. I. THE BLACK WOOD-PARTRIDGE. MELANOPERDIX NIGRA. Cryptonyx niger, Vigors, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 349 (1829) [made]. Cryptonyx ferrugineus, Vigors, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 349 (1829) [ female]. Cryptonyx dussumiert, Less. Bélang. Voy. Ind. p. 275, pl. vii. (1834). Melanoperdix nigra, Jerd. B. Ind. iii. p. 580 (1864); Ogilvie- Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 228 (1893). Adult Male-—Entire plumage uniform glossy black. Total length, 10°5 inches; wing, 55; tail, 3:3; tarsus, 1°8. Adult Female.—General colour above chestnut, finely mottled w.th black, and with bars of the same colour on the scapulars ; throat and belly whitish ; chest dark chestnut; breast and flanks more rufous, the latter barred and mottled with black. Range.—Southern part of the Malay Peninsula from Province Wellesley southwards, Sumatra, and Borneo. This species, Mr. C. Hose tells us, is “found in the low country, and does not ascend the mountains” of the Baram district, Sarawak. Eggs.— Five in number ; broad ovals in shape, considerably pointed at the smaller end; white, with the surface slightly rough and chalky. Measurements, 1°65 by 1°3 inch. THE QUAILS. GENUS COTURNIX. Coturnix, Bonn. Enc. Méth. Intr. pp. lxxxvii. 216 (1790). Type, C. coturnix (Linn.). Tail composed of ten or twelve feathers, short, soft, and N 2 180 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. hidden by the upper tail-coverts; less than half the length of the wing. First primary flight-feather about equal to the third, the second being generally slightly the longest: in some in- stances the first three feathers are sub-equal, or the first may even be a trifle the longest. Axillary feathers* long and white. Feet without spurs. Sexes different in plumage. This genus may be divided into two sections : A. Outer web of the primary flight-feathers with irregular bars and marks of buff (species 1 and 2, pp. 180-184). Z. Outer web of the primary flight-feathers uniform brown (species 3 to 6, pp. 185-188). A. Outer web of the primary flightfeathers with irregular bars and marks of buff. I. THE MIGRATORY QUAIL. COTURNIX COTURNIX. Tetrao coturnix, Linn. 5. N. 1. p- 278 (1766). Perdix coturnix, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 651 (1790). Coturnix communis, Bonn. Tabl. Encycl. Méth. i. p. 217, pl. G6, fiz. 2 (1791); Dresser, B. Europe, vil. p. 143,.pe ene (1878) ; Hume and Marshall, Game B. of India, ii. p. 133, pl. (1879); et auctorum, Aassim. Coturnix dactylisonans, 'Temm. Pig. et Gall. ili. pp. 478, 740 (1815); Gould, B. Europe, iv. pl..263 (1837). Coturnix vulgaris, Bout. Orn. Dauphiné, p. 72, pl. 43, fig. 1 (1843). Coturnix coturnix, Licht.; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. Xl. P= .233- (Loos): Adult Male.—General colour above sandy-brown, with pale buff shaft-stripes and black bars and markings; chin and throat white, with a black anchor-shaped mark down the middle; chest rufous-buff, with pale shafts ; rest of under-parts paler. Total length, 6°7 inches ; wing, 4°2; tail, 1°5 ; tarsus, 1. * The feathers under the wing, where it joins the body. THE QUAILS. ISI _ Adult Female.—Differs from the maZe in having no black band down the middle of the throat, and the chest more or less thickly spotted with brownish-black. From the female of C. japonica it may be readily distinguished by having the feathers on the chin and sides of the throat short and rounded. The male described above is a typical example of C. cofur- mix. As considerable variation is to be found in the colora- tion of the chin and throat and their black markings, it may be as well to give here the substance of the remarks I have already published on this subject. ‘The Migratory Quail has been constantly confused with two more or less resident local forms, C. capensis, found in South Africa, &c., and C. japonica, from Japan and China. ‘The former is probably nothing more than a more richly coloured, rather smaller, resident local race of C. coturnix, but the latter is a perfectly distinct and easily characterised species. The migratory bird, wandering over an immensely wide range, visits the countries inhabited by both these forms, and constantly inter-breeds with them, the result being that all sorts of intermediate forms occur. The male of C. gaponica has the chin and throat dull brick-red, devoid of any black markings, and the intermediate plumages between this species and the migratory bird are most noticeable among the save hybrids. For instance, some have the dull brick-red throat of C. gaponzca and the black anchor-shaped mark of C. coturnix ; others have only the upper two-thirds of the throat dull red, and the lower third white; while, again, a third lot have, in addition, a black band down the middle of the red part ; and all kinds of intermediate stages between these three examples may be found. ‘These hybrids are, so far as I know, generally only found in Mongolia, China, and Japan, though there is one skin among the large series in the National Collec- tion said to have been obtained in Bootan, N. India. The Migratory Quail also inter-breeds freely with the chest- nut-throated form (C. cafensis) found in S. Africa and the islands surrounding the coast, and the results are to be seen in 182 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. the many male birds from S. Africa and Southern Europe, &c., in which the white parts on the sides of the head and throat are more or less suffused with the bright rufous-chestnut charac- teristic of the resident bird. A curious variety or semi-melanistic form of C. coturnix occurs in Spain in the marshy neighbourhood of Valencia. A male in the British Museum has the general colour of the plumage black, and the fema/e has the under-parts suffused with sooty-brown. Range.—Africa, Europe, and Asia, except in the south-east portion. Habits—The migratory habits of this species are well-known to most people, but though the great majority —countless hosts of Quail, which may be numbered by millions rather than thousands—shift their quarters in September and October, on the approach of winter, and move southwards, in many places a certain number remain and spend the winter where they have bred. For instance, in the South of England and Ireland, and in the countries bordering the Mediterranean, a few re- main to winter, but the bulk of the European summer visitors betake themselves by various lines of migration to South Africa, from whence they return in March and April of the following spring. Enormous numbers also winter in India, crossing the Himalayas from Central Asia, while many arrive in Sind and Guzerat from the west, moving southwards from Beluchistan, Persia, and other northern latitudes. The number of migrants varies greatly in different years, their movements being largely, if not entirely, regulated by the food- supply and seasonal conditions of the countries which they visit. One may form some idea of the vast number to be met with in some parts of India from the following remarks by Tickell. He says: “In such localities as have been above noticed, Quails at times abound to such a degree that shooting them is mere slaughter. Where birds get up at every step dogs THE QUAILS. 183 or beaters are worse than useless, and where the game is so plentiful, search after a wounded bird is seldom thought worth the trouble. It is usual to be provided with two or three guns,* to be loaded, as fast as emptied, by a servant. With one gun only it would be necessary to wash out the barrels two or three times in the course of the afternoon, or at all events to wait every now and then for them to cool. A toler- ably good shot will bag fifty to sixty brace in about three hours, and knock down many others that are not found. I re- member one day getting into a deyra, or island formed by alluvial deposit, in the Ganges, between Patna (Bankipore) and Sonepore, which was sown almost entirely over with gram (chunna), and which literally swarmed with Quail. I do not exaggerate when I say they were like locusts in number. Every step that brushed the covert sent off a number of them, so that I had to stand every now and then like a statue and employ my arms only, and that in a stealthy manner, for the purpose of loading and firing. A furtive scratch of the head, or a wipe of the heated brow, dismissed a whole “ bevy” into the next field ; and, in fact, the emdbarras de richesse was nearly as bad as if there had been no birds at all.” Nest.—A slight hollow in the ground, with little or no lining, and sheltered by standing crops or grass, &c. Eggs.— Eight to twelve in number, sometimes more are laid; creamy-white or buff, more or less boldly blotched and spotted with rich brown. Average measurements, 1°15 by 0°88. SUB-SP. @. THE CAPE QUAIL. COTURNIX CAPENSIS. Coturnix capensis, Licht. fide Gray, Handl. B. ii. p. 268 (1870); Ogilvie-Grant, Ann. Mag. N. H. (6), ix. pp. 167, E69, 170 (1892); 1d. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. pp, 235, 237 (1893). Adult Male—Differs from the male of typical C. cofurnix in having the sides of the head, chin, and throat bright rufous- * Tle refers to the days before breech-loaders came in. 184 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. chestnut, and the mantle and chest washed with the same colour. It is also somewhat smaller. Total length, 6°3 inches ; wine, 3°O-4 ; tail, 1:4 5 tarsus, 1:1. Adult Female.—Very similar to the female of C. co/urnix, but slightly smaller. Range.—South Africa, south of about 15° S. latitude, Mau- ritius,* Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Cape Verd Islands, Canaries, Madeira, and the Azores. II. JAPANESE QUAIL. COTURNIX JAPONICA. Coturnix vulgaris gaponica, Vemm. and Schl. Faun. Jap. p. Loge pl. Ox (1842): Coturnix japonica, Cass. in Perry’s Exp. Jap. ii. p. 227 (1856) ; Prjevalsky, in Rowley’s Orn. Misc. . p. 424"@o7e Ogilvie-Grant, Ann. Mag. N. H. (6), x. pp. 167, 170, 171 (1892; with woodcut of head of female); id. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. pp. 235, 239 (1893). (Plate X VT.) Adult Male-—Differs from the male of C. coturnix chiefly in having the sides of the head, chin, and throat wzzform dull brick-red, with no trace of the black anchor-shaped mark, and the margins of the flank-feathers mostly rufous and much less spotted with black. Total length, 5°7 inches; wing, 3°9 ; tail, £2), tarsus, 1/05; Adult Female.—Differs from the female of C. coturnix in having the feathers of the chin and throat elongated and pointed, especially on the sides, and generally margined with rufous ; the chest and sides less spotted with black. Young Males have the elongated throat-feathers as in the adu/¢ female, and the middle of the throat is suffused with dull brick- red. As the short, rounded, brick-red feathers of the adult are moulted, the elongated feathers disappear. * There is a fine adult male of the typical Cape form in the National Collection said to have come from the Mauritius, but the locality way be a mistake, It is said that no indigenous Quail occurs there. XV1. PLATE JAPANESE QUAIL. THE QUAILS. 185 Range.— Japan, South-east Mongolia, and China as far south as Canton. Specimens have also been obtained in Bootan, Northern India, and Karen-nee. Habits.—Apparently very similar to those of the Migratory Quail. LD. Outer web of the primary flightfeathers untform brown. Ill. THE BLACK-BREASTED OR RAIN QUAIL. COTURNIX COROMANDELICA, Tetrao coromandelicus, Gmel. S. N. i. pt. ii. p. 764 (1788). LPerdix coromandelica, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 654 (1790). Coturnix coromandelica, Bonn. Tabl. Encycl. Méth. i. p. 221 (1791); Gould, B. Asia, vii. pl. 9 (1854); Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 152, pl. (1879); Oates, ed. Hume’s Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 444 (1890) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 241 (1893). Coturnix textilis, 'Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 512, 742 (1815). Adult Male—Like the male of C. coturnix, but the black pattern on the throat and neck is more strongly marked, and there is a large black patch covering the middle of the chest and breast. ‘Total length, 5 inches ; wing, 3°5 ; tail, 1-2; tar- Sus, [°OS. Adult Female.—-Very like the female of C. coturnix, but easily recognised by the absence of buff markings on the outer webs of the flight-feathers, as well as by its smaller size. Range.—Greater part of the Peninsula of India, and extend- ing to Assam, Manipur, Chittagong, and Pegu ; also no doubt to Arakan. Habits.— Generally speaking, the Rain Quail is merely a seasonal visitor over the greater part of its range, spending the monsoon in the drier parts of Upper and Western India, and the remainder of the year in the damp low-lying districts ; but in many parts of Central India it is resident, merely shifting its feeding-ground with the change of season, 186 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. As a straggler it may sometimes be met with in the hills at an elevation of quite 6,000 feet, but the plains are its real home. Between the months of April and October, Mr. Hume says that it is habitually found in pairs, and singly during the cold season, while just after the young are able to fly, it may be found in coveys. The habits of this species are generally very similar to those of the Grey Quail, but the call is quite distinct, being a louder double (not a tri-syllabic) whistle. According to Mr. Hume, “ Rain Quail afford just as pretty shooting as the Common Quail when they are numerous ; indeed, as they run less and fly rather faster, they yield per- haps better sport ; but I have never known it possible to make such huge bags of these as one can of the other. In Upper India, during the winter and spring, you are pretty sure to pick up a brace or two along with the Grey Quail (with which they seem to associate on friendly terms) when shooting this latter; but I never knew more than five brace killed at this season in a day by one gun. But just when they first appear in the Doab in June or July, according as the rains are early or late, you may manage, by hard work, to get from twenty to thirty brace in a day, if you have steady dogs and there is plenty of grass about from two to three feet in height, or if, as is the case in some districts, there are a good many fields of the dwarf early rain millets.” Nest.—A slight hollow without lining, or with only a few blades of grass. Ezgs.—Average number about nine, sometimes more, often less. The ground-colour varies from yellowish-white to brown- ish-buff. The markings vary greatly in different clutches. Some are finely spotted and dotted all over with blackish or brown ; others are heavily blotched and marked with rich brown, and much resemble those of the Migratory Quail; but numerous intermediate, and less heavily marked, sets are not uncommon. Average measurements, 1°09 by 0°83 inch. THE QUAILS. 187 IV. DELEGORGUE’S QUAIL. COTURNIX DELEGORGUEI. Coturnix delegorguet, Deleg. Voy. Afr. Austr, ii. p. 615 (1847); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 243 (1893). Coturnix histrionica, Hartl. Rev. et Mag. Zool. i. p. 495 (1849) ; id. Beitr. Orn. W.-Afr. pp. 1, 38, pl. xi. (1852). Coturnix fornasint, Bianc. Spec. Zool. Mosamb. fasc. xvi. p. 399, pl. i. fig. 2 (1850). Coturnix crucigera, Heugl. Vog. N. O.-Afr. p. 51 (1856). Adult Male-—Easily distinguished from the male of C. cotur- nix by having the general colour of the under-parts chestnut, with a large black patch in the middle of the breast. Total length, 6°o inches wing, 3°7 ; tail, 1°3 ; tarsus, 1. Adult Female—Distinguished from the female of C. coturnix in having the general colour of the under-parts rufous-buff or dull chestnut. Range.—Africa, south of about 15° N. latitude ; recently ob- tained at Aden. Very little is known about this rare Quail, but its habits are probably very similar to those of the common species. V. THE AUSTRALIAN QUAIL. COTURNIX PECTORALIS. eaurms. peciorals, Gould, Px ZS. 1837, p. 8; id; SynsiB Austr. text and pl. fig. 1 (1837-8) ; North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 289 (1889); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXll. p. 244 (1893). Adult Male—Differs from the made of C. coturnix chiefly in having the sides of the head, chin, and throat dw// brick-red (as in C. japonica), but the feathers of the under-parts are white with black shaft-stripes, and there is a black patch in the middle of the chest. ‘Total length, 7 inches; wing, 4°1; tail, 1°5; tarsus, 0°9. Adult Female.—Differs chiefly from the female of C. coturnix in having the feathers of the chest and breast longitudinally barred with black near the extremity, the bars being cxéer- rupted in the middle by a wide buff interspace. 188