9. PERDIX. 191 



In tho most extreme form of this variety the whole head and 

 neck are dull rust-red, and the rest of the plumage dark chestnut, 

 except the thighs and lower part of the belly and vent, which are 

 white, tho primaries, which are brown, the secondaries and longer 

 scajiulars, which are irregularly margined with whitish or buif, 

 finely vermiculated with black, and the wing-coverts and scapulars, 

 which have irregular M-hitish shaft-stripes dilated at the extremity 

 of the secondary coverts into a whitish patch dotted with black. 



In a second specimen the plumage is as above, but the primaries 

 are mottled, especially on the outer web, with rufous white, and 

 most of the lesser and median coverts have a small white patch at 

 the extremity. 



Two other specimens combine all the characters of the above, but 

 all the feathers of the back, wing-coverts, scapulars, outer second- 

 aries, and flanks are tipped with white, mottled with black. 



A fifth resembles these two last specimens, but also approaches 

 the typical P. jicrdir in the plumage of tho top and back of the 

 head, the back and sides of the neck, and the mantle (but these parts 

 are greyer than usual), and of the lower back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts (though the ground-colour is dirty white instead of brownish 

 buff). On the uuderparts the chestnut horseshoe mark is enormously 

 developed, while the flanks and sides are almost normal. The tail 

 is uidike that of any other, having the basal portion of the outer web 

 white, slightly mottled with black. 



On the whole, this bird, with the exception of its tail, is exactly 

 intermediate between a typical specimen of the variety P. montana 

 and P. perdiv, though the parts of the jjlumage which resemble the 

 latter are paler than usual. 



P. montana is said to be confined to the mountains of Lorraine, 

 but I have seen specimens of this variety, which are still preserved 

 in private collections, that were shot some years ago in Northumber- 

 land, and are in every way identical with birds from Lorraine. 

 Several examples are also preserved in the Newcastle Museum. 

 There can be no doubt that it is merely a strongly-marked variety 

 of P. perdLv, and not a distinct species ; and I think anyone who 

 takes the trouble to examine the five specimens which I have de- 

 scribed above, and sees the gradual transition they display between 

 t}i)ical P. perdiv and typical P. tnontatia, can only arrive at the 

 same conclusion. 



a. Ad. sk. France. Riocour Coll. 



b, c. Ad. sk. France. Riocour Coll. 



d. .\d. sk. Zogny, Jan. Riocour Coll. 



e. Ad. St. Mountains of Lorraine. Dr. K. B. Sharpe [P.^. 



Pertlis cinerea, var. A, Temm. Pig. et GaU. iii. pp. 398, 730 (1815). 

 Mountain Partridge, L<Uh. Gen. HL^. viii. p. •JS.S (182.3). 

 Clieshire Partridge, Lath. Gen. Hi-st. viii. p. 28(1 (1823). 

 Perdix cinerea, var. montana, Jard. Nut. Lib., Orn. iv. p. 101, pi ii 

 (1834). 



