AVES. 123 



The Singed Sand Grouse is abundant in Egypt, and in the Sahara, to 

 the southward of the Black-breasted and Pintail species. It is common 

 in all the deserts of Western Asia and India, but not further eastward. 



ORDER, GALLIN.E. 



FAMILY, PHASIANID.E. 



280. Caccabis chukar. (G. R. Gray, in Cuv. ed. Griff, iii., p. 54.) 

 Chukor Partridge. Hebr., N'-ih. Arab., Ja^, Hadjcl. 



The Chukor Partridge is the game bird, par excellence, of Palestine. 

 It is wonderful to find it so plentiful everywhere in the hill country, 

 among the rocks and bushes, where it has no protection and every con- 

 ceivable foe. Yet from the Lebanon to the south of Judaea it is found, 

 except in the low-lying plains and in the Jordan valley. The former it 

 surrenders to the Francolin, the latter to the Sand Partridge {A. heyi). 

 Its eggs are quite distinct from those of the closely allied Greek Partridge, 

 and are smaller than those of any of Its congeners, though It Is almost the 

 largest species of its genus. In the east of Moab we find only the very 

 pale variety, which has been named C. sinaica, and Is the characteristic 

 form of the Sinaitic Peninsula, but the distinction Is only In the paler 

 coloration, doubtless from the arid and hot climate, and it can only be 

 looked on as a climatic variety. 



The only part of Europe where the true Caccabis clntkar Is found are 

 the Greek Islands. It inhabits Asia Minor, Syria, North Persia, Scinde, 

 and the region to the Immediate north and south of the Himalayas, and 

 extends into Northern China. 



281. Ammopcrdix Jicyi. (Temm. PI. Col. 328, 329.) Hey's Sand 

 Partridge. 



This beautiful little Partridge takes the place of the Chukor In the 

 Dead Sea basin and the ravines of the Jordan valley. In its restricted 

 habitat it is very numerous. It lays its eggs in fissures of the rocks and 

 holes in caves. 



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