4. CACCABIS. 115 



1 am satisfied that it is impossible to distinguish more than one 

 subspecies of C. saxatilis, and that all the paler and darker races, 

 which from time to time have been elevated to the rank of species 

 under a number of names, are merely climatic variations of one 

 and the same bird. 



The range of this subspecies is very extensive and varied, 

 for it is found in localities from sea-level to an elevation of at 

 least 16,000 feet, and apparently flourishes quite as well in the 

 most desert country as it does in the well-watered and cultivated 

 hills. It is scarcely surprising that these physical surroundings 

 should largely affect the Chukar, both in size and colour, but 

 between the extremes of size and colour it is easy to select from 

 the series of specimens befoi'e me a number of birds showing a 

 complete gradation between the two. 



The lightest coloured bird in the whole of our series is from 

 Bushire, while somewhat darker specimens come from Bagdad, 

 Shiraz, Afghanistan, Sindh, Ladak, &c., and the darkest are from 

 the Grecian islands, Cyprus, Asia Minor, and the Himalayas, and 

 other parts where the vegetation is plentiful. Chinese specimens 

 from Kalgau and the Nankow Pass have the upper parts of the 

 body of a more reddish tint (p'.iij-icens, ISwinhoe), but they scarcely 

 differ from the paler forms from Khiusan, N. Afghanistan, and 

 several other localities. 



Adult male and female. Forehead and sides of the head grey, 

 shading into duU vinous in the middle and on the nape ; back and 

 sides of the neck and upper part of the mantle usually grey or 

 brownish grey, shading into dull vinous on the lower part of the 

 mantle, and to greyish drab or grey on the lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts. The inner and longer scapulars and wing- 

 coverts are greyish drab ; the outer scapulars are bluish grey, widely 

 margined all round with dull vinaceous red. Quills brown, the 

 subterminal part of the outer web of the primaries (except the first) 

 and of the inner secondaries butf. A black baud across the front 

 of the forehead passes backwards on either side to the eye, behind 

 which it is continued down the sides of the throat, meeting its feUow 

 on the front of the neck ; a black patch on the chin and at either 

 angle of the gape ; ear-coverts chestnut ; superciliary stripe, which 

 commences above the eye, lores, cheeks, and throat white or whitish 

 buff. Chest and breast grey, washed more or less with isabelline 

 and vinous on the sides. Belly, vent, and under tail-coverts bright 

 buff. Feathers of the sides and flanlcs grey at the base, buff in the 

 middle, and dark chestnut at the extremity, the colours being 

 divided from one another by two transverse black bars. Two 

 middle pairs of tail-feathers drab-grey ; outer pairs the same, but 

 with the terminal half dark chestnut. Iris yellow, orange, or 

 reddish brown. Bill crimson to coral-rod, often dusky on the 

 culmen. Legs and feet coral-pink to deep red. The tarsus is 

 generally provided with a stout, short, knob-like spur in the male. 



Male. Total length l-i"6 inches, wing 6-7, tail 3-9, tarsus 1"9. 



female. Total length 13--1: inches, wing 6-5, taU 3*8, tarsus I'S. 



The above description and measurements are taken from Hima- 



i2 



