THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES. gt 



Nest. — Composed of leaves and fibres, placed in a depression 

 in the ground, and generally sheltered by a tuft of grass or low 

 bush; may be met with in different localities from the sea-level 

 up to an elevation of 16,000 feet. 



Eggs. — Generally seven to twelve in number, sometimes more; 

 somewhat sharply pointed. The ground-colour varies from 

 yellowish-white to brownish-cream, thickly speckled and spotted 

 with purplish or reddish-brown. Average measurements, r68 

 by 1*25 inch, 



II. PRJEVALSKY'S RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. CACCABIS MAGNA. 



Caccabis magna, Prjev. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 426 (1877); 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 120 (1893). 



Adult Male and Female. — Differ from C. saxatilis in their paler 

 colour and larger size, and in having the collar round the base 

 of the neck double, inside blackish or black, on the outside red- 

 dish-brown. Total length, 15 inches; wing, 7*6; tail, 4*1 ; tar- 

 sus, 17. 



Range. — Mountains of South Koko-nor, Northern Tibet, and 

 the Tsaidam Plains. 



Habits. — This remarkable and perfectly distinct "Red-leg" 

 was first obtained by the great Russian traveller, Prjevalsky, 

 who makes the following remarks on its habits. He says : — "We 

 first obtained this bird in the most desolate parts of South 

 Koko-nor Mountains ; and later on we met with it also in 

 Northern Tibet and the Tsaidam Plains. In its habits it does 

 not differ from C. chukar, and keeps usually in small companies 

 (probably families) on the rocky mountains and in the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



"When taking wing it utters a peculiar hollow note, some- 

 thing like ' cuta-cuta, 7 which we never noticed in C. chukar, 

 and the present species seems to be more silent than the pre- 

 ceding one." 



