610 Mr, M. J. Nicoll — Contributions 



200. Ammoperdix heyi heyi. 



Ammoperdix heyi Shelley, p. 222. 



This handsome little Rock-Partridge has been met with in 

 the Wadi Hof near Helwan, which is the only locality I at 

 present know of in the Proviuce for the bird, I have an 

 adult male which I shot there on the 31st of December, 

 1908. This example lacks the white forehead and lores 

 which are present in most adult male specimens of A. heyi 

 that I have examined, but in this respect it agrees with a 

 specimen from Palestine in the Tring Museum. 



Ammoperdix cholmleyi was described by Mr. Ogilvie-Grant 

 as distinguishable from A. heyi by being darker above and 

 having no white on tlie forehead and lores. This is borne 

 out by most specimens ; but although I have not yet seen a 

 specimen of A. cholmleyi with a white forehead, I have seen 

 several males of A. heyi, besides the two previously mentioned, 

 which have no white on the forehead and lores. Thus it 

 seems that Ammoperdix cholmleyi is only to be distinguished 

 from A. heyi by the darker coloration of the upper parts, and 

 this I find to be the case on examination of the types of 

 A. cholmleyi. In the latter, moreover, the rump is more 

 distinctly barred than in A. heyi. 



In the typical form, A. heyi, the upper parts, mantle, 

 wing-coverts, and scapulars are sandy buff with a pinkish 

 tinge. The lores and forehead are with or without white. 

 In A. cholmleyi the upper parts are vinaceous and the lower 

 back, rump, and upper tail-coverts more distinctly barred. 

 The forehead and lores are not white. It should be pointed out 

 that specimens of these two forms are by no means plentiful 

 in collections and that their range is by no means clearly 

 worked out. It would seem that both A. heyi heyi and 

 A. h. cholmleyi occur in Egypt, but " Egypt" is a somewhat 

 elastic term for a locality, and birds labelled " Egypt ^^ are 

 practically useless unless we know the exact range of the 

 species or subspecies in question. 



Specimens of Hey^s Partridge are very difficult to obtain, 

 as they trust more to their running powers than to flight, 

 and invariably run away up the sides of the valleys, Mhile 

 always keeping just out of gunshot. 



