578 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



"This handsome little Partridge," says Mountaineer, "inhabits the 

 forests and jungles, and is never found in open spots or the culti- 

 vated fields. It is most numerous on the lower ranges,in the wooded 

 ravines and hill sides from the summit to near the base, but does 

 not occur at the foot of the hills or low down in the valleys. It 

 is not so common in the interior, but met with to an elevation of 

 about 9,000 feet. It is rather solitary in its habits, generally 

 found in pairs, but occasionally, in autumn and winter, five or 

 six will collect together, and keep about one spot. It is a quiet 

 unsuspicious bird ; when alarmed it utters a soft whistle, and 

 generally creeps away through the underwood if not closely 

 pressed, in preference to getting up. Its flight is rapid, oftener 

 across the hill than downwards, and seldom very far, in general 

 not more than 80 or 100 yards. Its food being much similar, it 

 is met with in the same places as the Coklass Pheasant, and both 

 are often found together. Indeed, in winter, in some of the forests 

 of the interior, Argus, Moonall, Coklass, and Kalleege Pheasant, 

 and the Hill partridge are sometimes all found within a compass 

 of 50 or 60 yards. I have not seen the nest or eggs. It feeds 

 on leaves, roots, maggots, seeds, and berries ; in confinement it 

 will eat grain ; in a large cage or enclosure its motions are very 

 lively, running about with great sprightliness from one part to 

 another. It occasionally mounts into the trees, but not so often 

 as a forest bird might be expected to do. In the forests of the 

 interior, in spring, it is often heard calling at all hours of the day. 

 The call is a single loud soft whistle, and may be easily imitated 

 so as to entice the birds quite close. At other seasons it is never 

 heard to call except when disturbed." 



825. Arboricola rufogularis, Btath. 



J. A.S. XVIII. 819— Blyth, Cat. l5ll—Kohom-but-pIw, Lepch. 

 — Lahoni, Bhot. 



The Rufous-throated Hill-partridge. 



Descr. — Male, as in the last species, but the black undulations 



on the back are generally almost obsolete ; it has the red head of 



the last, but the throat, front, and sides of the neck are deep 



ferruginous, with some small black specks on the throat, and a black 



