Birds of the Indian Hills 



pir, chir-a-pir, chir-a-pir, chirzva, chirzva, but a 

 good deal varied." 



The grey quail {Coturnix communis) is a 

 common bird of the Himalayas during a few 

 days only in the year. Large numbers of these 

 birds rest in the fields of ripening grain in the 

 course of their long migratory flight. Almost 

 as regularly as clockwork do they appear in 

 the Western Himalayas early in October on 

 their way south, and again in April on their 

 northward journey. By walking through the 

 terraced fields at those times with a gun, con- 

 siderable bags of quail can be secured. These 

 birds migrate at night. Writing of them, Hume 

 said : " One moonlight night about the third 

 week in April, standing at the top of Benog, a 

 few miles from Mussoorie, a dense cloud many 

 hundred yards in length and fifty yards, I 

 suppose, in breadth of small birds swept over 

 me with the sound of a rushing wind. They 

 were not, I believe, twenty yards above the 

 level of my head, and their quite unmistakable 

 call was uttered by several of those nearest me 

 as they passed." 



We must now consider the partridges that 

 patronise the hills. The species most commonly 

 met with in the Himalayas is the chakor 



I02 



