150



C. Barney Smith,



whole is sparsely and evenly scattered with black feathers. The

wattle in my bird, when pulled down after death, measured

4i inches from the base of the under bill. I was most distressed

to lose this splendid bird, which Monsieur Delacour had most kindly

brought me from France last year—a 1918 bird—and when he was

staying with me in March and saw it again, he said he had never

seen a finer specimen. The Tragopans are charming birds, the

males of great beauty, becoming very tame ; and in France, at any

rate, they are bred successfully. Temminck’s and Cabot’s are most

usually imported ; Satyra is rarer, and Blyth’s and the Western

Tragopan ( T. melanocephalus) rarer still. No other species are

known, except wdiat is perhaps a local race of Blyth’s in Tibet.


The display of the males is it wonderful sight, when the

wattle is let down over the upper breast like a curtain embroidered

with vivid and beautiful colours, the fleshy horns being erected from

beneath the silky crests.



MANCHURIAN PARTRIDGES.


By C. Barnby Smith.


For some years before the War I often saw in game-dealers’

windows in various towns in the spring, Partridges for sale with

a large black patch on the breast . On inquiry I was always told

that these were “ Manchurian Partridges ”. I shall be glad if some

member of the Avicultural Society could tell me the correct name.

Were they the Bearded Partridge (Perclix daurica) or were they

“ Mrs. Hodgson’s Partridge ” ? The fact that they were called

Manchurian is very little indication, as trade descriptions of this

kind are hopelessly misleading.


Whatever is the correct name of the birds, it has occurred to

me that it would probably be a most interesting thing to have them

in captivity in England. I wonder if they have ever been kept, and

if so, with what result. They probably would be quite easy to

manage, and experiments might be made of crossing them with our

own English Partridge. It seems a case for some member of the



