244 THE FOOD OF BIRDS IN INDIA. 



greedily of almost everything, but having a special preference to 

 white ants. Jerd. B. I., 3, 575. 



In confinement, they should be well fed with paddy or 

 unhusked rice, which they will eat freely. H. M. G. B., 2, 62. 



1377. Perdix hodgsonice. Tibetan Partridge. Here and there 

 fed by the melting snow above, little patches and streaks of mossy 

 herbage on which I suppose the birds must have been feeding. H. 

 M. G. B., 2, 66. 



1378. Tetraogallus himalayensis. Himalayan Snow-Cock. 

 ( Mountain, er). When feeding they walk slowly up hill, picking up 

 the tender blades of grass and young shoots of plants occasionally 

 stopping to snatch up a certain bulbous root of which they seem 

 very fond. " They feed on the leaves of plants and grass, and 

 occasionally on moss, roots and flowers ; grass forms by far the 

 largest portion. They are very partial to the young blades of wheat 

 or barley. Though they will eat grain I doubt if they would live 

 long without an occasional supply of their natural green food of 

 grass and plants." Jerd. B. I., 3, 553; H. M. G. B., 1, 270-271. 

 Insects, buds, roots, grass, moss and fern, E. B. C. N. H., 229. 



1379. Tetraogallus tibetanus. Tibetan Snow-Cock. Hender- 

 son ' They had been feeding on grain all picked out of the drop- 

 pings of cattle and horses." H. M. G. B., 1, 276. 



1380. Lerwa nivicola. Mountaineer. " The Snow-partridge 

 feeds on moss and the tender shoots of ismall plants." Jerd. 



B. I., 3, 557. H. M. G. B., 2, 5. Moss, seeds, and insects. E. B. 



C. N. H., 230. Feeds on shoots, moss, and roots. A. leM., 109. 



Sub-order Peristeropodes. 



Megapodiidce. Fallen fruit, seeds, berries, worms, snails, 

 insects and worms. E. B. C. N. H., 191. 



1381. Megapodius nicobariensis. The stomachs of all we ex- 

 amined contained tiny land shells larvaB of insects, dissolved matter 

 apparently vegetable, and minute fragments and particles of quaitz 

 or other hard rocks. H. M. G. B., 1, 120. Young in captivity 

 entirely fed on white ants. B. N. H. S. J., 12, 21. 



