30 Mr. C. G. Danford on the 



limits of the tree-growth, rareJy descending, unless in excep- 

 tionally severe weather ; and even then it usually takes to the 

 holes and caves with which the limestone rocks abound. 

 From the sheltered interstices of these rocks it gets its food, 

 which at this season consists, not, as some writers say, of the 

 droppings of the wild goats, or, as the natives often asserted, 

 of snow and stones, but of bulbous roots, young grass-blades, 

 moss, and quantities of the common scale-fern {Ceterach 

 officinarum) . The young, no doubt, after the manner of most 

 game birds, feed much on insects. The above diet seems to 

 agree well with these birds, as females shot March and April 

 were covered with fat, males less so. They are good eating, 

 more like the common Grey Partridge than any thing else. 

 The weight of a large male was 7\ lb., that of a female 61b. 



The Snow-Partridge pairs very early, certainly as soon as 

 the beginning of February ; but it is not until the end of 

 March that the males begin calling. The call-note is a 

 full, clear, prolonged whistle, ended with an abrupt jerk. It 

 is audible at a great distance, and is not difficult to imitate. 

 The other cry which this species possesses is a loud cackle, 

 uttered only by the male. It is begun when the bird is dis- 

 turbed, and is kept up during the whole time of its flight, 

 which is sometimes pretty long, and is best compared to that 

 of the Ptarmigan. On alighting the performance is often 

 wound up by a whistle. The natives imitate these notes by 

 the syllables luk-luk-luk-luk oooooo. This bears about as 

 much likeness to the natural notes of the bird as such imita- 

 tions usually do on paper, which, except in the case of very 

 simple-noted birds, appears to me to be remarkably small. 

 The transcribing of complicated bird-notes depends so much 

 upon the taste and fancy of the speller, that two interpreta- 

 tions of a bird-song very rarely coincide; and the series of sylla- 

 bles set down really convey no definite idea of the actual notes. 



The present species begins breeding in the middle of April. 

 Two of the three nests obtained were taken on the Bulgar 

 dagh, April 23rd and 25th, and contained six and four eggs 

 respectively. The other, which we had the good fortune to 



