THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 491 



spotted with black. Birds, however, with the black border below 

 the rufous throat are very rare, and I have only seen two 

 such. 



The nestling in down is rather bright chestnut brown above, dingy 

 white below ; supercilium and cheeks paler, a dark brown line behind 

 the eye dividing into two. 



The next plumage has the upper parts as in the adult, but duller, with 

 the crown vermiculated, not spotted, with black. The sides vermiculat- 

 ed brown and black and the centre of breast and abdomen paler and 

 whitish. 



The adult bird has the soft parts coloured. Irides brown ; orbital 

 skin, gular skin and gape red ; bill black ; legs red, claws paler. The 

 female has the legs a yellower red than the male. 



On the higher peaks over 4,500 feet this partridge is fairly common, 

 but I have seen it nowhe re below 3,800 feet, and it is very rare even there. 

 At Hungrmn on the peaks at about 5,000 to 6,000 feet, its cheerful call 

 may be heard regularly in the early mornings during the breeding 

 season, but it keeps so much to bush and scrub jungle in forest that it is 

 not easy to procure specimens. 



The only three eggs I possess were taken on the second of July, 1888, 

 and are probably rather abnormally small ;they measure 1*48" X 1'14", 

 1-45" X M4"and 1-41" X I'll". They are of the usual character, 

 broad ovals, coosiderably compressed towards the smaller end which is 

 pointed in two, blunter in the third. The pure white shell is smooth 

 and very close in texture with a decided gloss. 



(555) A. INTERMEDIA. — The Arrakan Hill Partridge. 

 Hume, No. 825 ter ; Blanford, No. 1364. 



I possess one clutch of eggs of this species taken at Laisung in 

 mixed bramble and bamboo jungle, on the steep banks of a stream run- 

 ning through a very deep valley at an altitude of over 4,000 feet. The 

 eggs, five in number, are larger than any others I have ever seen of the 

 genus Arhericola. Except in measurements they resemble those of A. 

 rufigularls just described, perhaps being rather longer in proportion to 

 their breadth. They measure 1-70" X 1'23" ; 1*68" X 1*25 ; 1-66'' X 

 1-22" ; 1-65" X 1-25" and 1-61" X 1-22". 



The nest consisted merely of a mound of leaves, &c., with a small 

 noUow in the centre. 



