246 INDIAN SPOKTING BIRDS 



on the throat are large, and almost coalesce in some places ; and 

 in our present species the throat patch is at times small and 

 dotted with pale ferruginous, showing that it is nothing hut 

 coalesced spots," and he therefore tliinks it no more worthy 

 of separation than the Tenasserim form. 



Silly distinctions like these make ornithology ridiculous, and 

 it is curious that Hume, holding the rational view above quoted 

 as to the close alliance of this bird with the ordinary rufous- 

 throat, wasted a plate on it. 



The only point of interest on record about the bird is that its 

 white eggs have been taken in Manipur, where, as well as in 

 North Cachar, and in the Naga Hills, it is now known to extend. 

 The eggs were found in May, and six was the set found. 



Whitc-cKcckcd or Black-throated Hill- 

 Partridge. 



Arhoricola atrigularis. Duhoy, Assamese. 



The alternative Enghsh names of this species express two 

 noticeable points in its coloration ; its Hindustani name is 

 Peiira, which really seems to mean any sort of hill-partridge, 

 these uninteresting species not attracting the special attention 

 of natives. The Chittagong name is Sanhatai. 



Besides the white cheeks and black throat, this species 

 is notable for not having any chestnut streaks on the white- 

 spotted flanks, the ground of which is grey like the breast. The 

 sides of the neck are buff, speckled with black, and the black 

 throat patch frays out into spots as it joins the breast, and just 

 above the juncture is mixed with white. The back is barred with 

 black as in the common hill-partridge, but the legs are light 

 orange-red. The red skin round the eye, commonly found in 

 these hill-partridges, is noticeable even through the face-feathers 

 in this species. 



This is a bird of our eastern hills, its western limit being 

 Assam ; it ranges east to Cachar and south to Chittagong, but 

 does not go north of the Brahmaputra. It is fond of dense forest 

 and bamboo-jungle, and is usually only seen singly, though in 



