40 THE PHEASANT SUBFAMILY 



median wing-coverts, are blotched on their inner webs with chestnut; further, 

 the wing-coverts have a conspicuous longitudinal buff shaft-streak. From Sep- 

 tember to June the top of the head is brown narrowly striated with buff, the rest 

 of the head and throat being of a bright rust-red. The breast and flanks are pale 

 grey, finely mottled with black, and barred, on the flanks, with chestnut, while a 

 large horseshoe-shaped patch of chestnut marks the centre of the breast. The rest 

 of the under parts are whitish. The first flight feather is rounded at the tip. A 

 small area of red skin surrounds the eye, the beak is of a blush-brown colour, the 

 legs pale bluish grey, and the iris brown. In May this plumage is much faded, the 

 chestnut colour almost disappearing. From June to September the male assumes 

 a partial " eclipse " plumage, affecting only the head and neck. Herein the striations 

 on the crown are conspicuous by their absence, while the neck is brown, with buff 

 striations narrowly bordered with black. The rust-coloured area of the throat 

 fades to pale rufous. Birds in this plumage in the autumn are sometimes mistaken 

 for " forward " young birds, but may be distinguished therefrom by the rounded tip 

 of the first primary. The female is to be distinguished by the brown hue of the 

 head and neck, which are conspicuously striated with buff, and by the coloration 

 of the lesser and median wing-coverts which are black, with wide-set somewhat 

 wavy buff crossbars, in addition to the longitudinal shaft-streaks of buff. The 

 chestnut horse-shoe is smaller than in the male, or may be wanting. Like the male, 

 the female assumes a partial breeding (" eclipse ") dress in May, the feathers of the 

 crown of the head and neck, and the forepart of the interscapular region being more 

 or less completely replaced by black and buff marked feathers with a longitudinal 

 buff shaft-streak, and subterminal buff spot. These feathers are retained till 

 September. In the juvenile dress the general coloration is of a brownish buff 

 striated on the mantle, fore-neck, and breast with pale buff longitudinal, black- 

 edged shaft-streaks. The wing-coverts and scapulars are black with buff cross- 

 bars and shaft-streaks, recalling those of the adult female. By October young birds 

 resemble the adults, but may be distinguished by the pointed first primary. The 

 young in down is of a greyish buff. The crown dark chestnut, the sides of the head 

 yellowish, with a long loop of black, the ends of which are turned forwards. Down 

 the back of the neck runs a black stripe, dividing at its base to run down on either 

 side of the middle of the back ; below this dorsal stripe runs a similar line which, at 

 its hinder extremity, turns forward to form a short loop. Two striking variations 

 of the common-partridge occasionally occur a red and a grey. The red variety 

 was at one time regarded as a distinct species, known as the mountain-partridge 



