72 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



Its food consists chiefly of grain, seeds, 

 the smaller pulses and beans. The call 

 note of the male in spring time is a lond 

 piercing challenge which the natives take 

 advantage of to catch them. " A country- 

 man once showed me how it was done, " 

 writes Mr. Styan in the " Ibis. " " We had 

 two birds in separate cages, one of which 

 he hid under a pile of brushwood. The 

 other was released, and his challenge being 

 answered by the hidden bird, the latter was 

 soon discovered, and a fight ensued through 

 the bars of the cage." The natives practise 

 the call with success, and there seems 

 reason to believe that as many birds are 

 captured by the fatal birdlime as fall to the 

 native gingal. 



The partridge found at Foochow and 

 Canton is known as the Francolinus 

 sinensis. It is a rather larger bird than its 

 congener of the north, and is characterized 

 by its distinct markings of black, white and 

 brown spots. This bird once afforded good 

 sport in the valley of the Min river. 

 Possibly the present day sportsman located 

 at Foochow is not so enthusiastic as was 

 his predecessor five and twenty years ago. 



