MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 849 



No. XV.— A NOTE ON THE BREEDING OF THE HILL PARTRIDGE 

 {ARBORICOLA TORQUEOLA) NEAR SIMLA. 



So little appears to be known regarding the breeding of this common 

 but little observed bird that it is of interest to set on record some parti- 

 culars of a nest which was recently obtained for me about 8,500 ft. near 

 Mahasoo, Simla, by a valued correspondent this year. 



The nest was found first on 25th April through the flushing of the 

 parent birds, but although they had betrayed the approximate where- 

 abouts of the nest, it was discovered only after a careful search ; there 

 were then 7 eggs, on the 27th April there were still only 7 eggs, but 8 were 

 found the next morning. When the place was again visited on the 2nd 

 May it was found that another and last egg had been laid, making in as 

 a clutch of nine. On each of these subsequent visits neither parent wall 

 seen and the eggs were invariably cold, yet from the placing of grass over 

 the entrance hole there was no doubt that the eggs were not deserted. 



As I had insisted on the necessity for complete authentication of the 

 eggs, endeavours were made to snare a bird at the nest but a first attempt 

 with horse hair nooses was unsuccessful ; so on the 7th May a gut noose 

 was set and the nest was visited a second time in the evening. There had 

 been a hail storm and hail stones then lying thickly around ; my corres- 

 pondent on arriving at the nest was astonished to find it completely 

 covered over with grass and while he was looking at this and wondering 

 at the reason the bird suddenly bounced out and as it passed he made a 

 lucky grap and caught it in mid air in his hand ; the broken gut snare was 

 then round its neck. He kept the bird and set a fresh noose in the 

 entrance and this had been disturbed next morning though the second 

 bird was not caught. The eggs were then taken for me. 



The nest is described as being built in a carefully scraped out and 

 rounded hole in a bank ; this hole measured 8f inches in diameter after 

 the removal of the nest, which was built carefully of, and domed with, 

 grass with an internal diameter of 6^ inches. The actual site of the nest 

 was fairly open, but only a few yards away started under-growth of the 

 type usually frequented by the Feora. Particular emphasis is laid on the 

 facts that whenever the nest was visited the eggs were quite cold, and on 

 the fact of concealing the entrance of the nest with grass whether the 

 bird was sitting or absent. 



The eggs when blown were found to be all slightly incubated to an 

 equal extent. They are in shape of a very pointed oval, verging almost 

 on the pyriform, of a very fine texture, faintly pitted, and with a rather 

 pronounced gloss. The colour is an almost pure white, with no marking. 

 The nine eggs measure from 42*5 to 46 mm. in length and 32'5 to 34 in 

 width ; the average comes to 44 by 33'2 mm. 



HUGH WHISTLER, f.z.s., 

 Jang, Punjab, 20th July 1919. Indian Police, 



No. XVI.— LATE STAY OF COMMON SNIPE (GALLINAOO 

 CCELE8TE8) IN CENTRAL INDIA. 

 Snipe have stayed here very late this j^ear. As a rule there are no snipe 

 in the tanks round Indore, after the end of March. This month I have 

 shot snipe on the 7th, 17th and to-day, thus — 

 On the 7th . . . . 5 fantail. 



„ 17th . . . . 2 fantail and 1 jack snipe. 



„ 21st . . . . 3 fantail. 



There are blue winged teal here, but they always stay till the end of April 

 and beginning of May. 



Indore, 2\st April 1919. PERCY HIDE. 



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