146 



Lerwa, Bhotia ; Jt.nguria. Kuraaun ; Quoir or Kur Monal, Garlnval, 

 &c. ; Golabi, Uhair, Tcr Titar, Bashahr, &c. ; Barf-ka Titar, Kulu ; Jtiju, 

 Chamba. 



Coloration. Head and neck all round and \vhole upper plumage 

 closely barred with black and buffy white, the pale bauds broad 

 and rufous on the tertiaries and scapulars ; primaries and second- 

 aries brown, the inner primaries speckled with whitish on tho 

 edges and tipped white, the secondaries broadly tipped and more 



Fig. 29. Head of L. nivicola. j. 



speckled with white, and the inner secondaries barred with white 

 near the ends; tail black with mottled white bars; breast deep 

 chestnut, the feathers towards the base dark brown with white 

 edges ; abdomen similar, but the white margins are broader and 

 much more conspicuous, and the feathers have subterminal black 

 bars, the white edges are broadest on the flanks ; lower flanks and 

 feathers around vent barred brown and rufous white ; under tail- 

 coverts chestnut, with black shaft-stripes and buffy-white tips. 



In young birds the chestnut of the lower parts is mottled and 

 tipped with black, and the barring is less distinct throughout. 



Bill bright red ; irides brown ; feet deep red. 



Length about 15; tail 4'5 ; wing 7*75; tarsus 1-5; bill from 

 gape -9. 



Distribution. The higher ranges of the Himalayas from Kashmir 

 to Bhutan and farther east, at elevations of 10,000 to 14,000 feet 

 in summer, lower in winter, also in Moupin and West Se-chuen, 

 China. 



Habits, $c. This bird somewhat resembles a Ptarmigan, and is 

 found in coveys or small flocks in autumn and winter, and in pairs 

 in spring, on rocky or stony slopes, amongst stunted herbage above 

 the forest line, except when driven down by the winter's snow. 

 It has a peculiar shrill whistle, by which its presence is often made 

 known, for when unmolested it is a comparatively tame bird. The 

 young are hatched about the end of June at elevations between 

 12,000 and 15,000 feet, the eggs being large and white, freckled all 

 over with reddish brown. There are usually six or seven young 

 in each brood. This is one of the best Asiatic game birds lor the 

 table. 



