SNOW PARTRIDGES— STYLE OF FLIGHT. 39 



prised to see him performing this spring love 

 dance so late as the end of August. 



I know no part of the Caucasus where 

 this bird is so abundant as in the ranges 

 between Svanetia and Kadcha, and as neither 

 man nor beast seems to prey on them to any 

 considerable extent they are not likely to 

 decrease. Tlie Svans say the birds feed on 

 the droppmgs of the dhEFerent kmds of moun- 

 tam goat, but this can only form a small 

 item of their diet, although wherever the tur 

 have been feeding, the hollows where the 

 partridge has been dusting will not be far off. 

 The birds' flight reminded me of that of the 

 lesser bustard, only that if anything it is more 

 steady and a great deal stronger. They run 

 like French partridges, and seem from the 

 way they sometimes drop and lie flat amongst 

 the debris to trust not a little to the similarity 

 of colouring existing between them and the 

 rocks around for concealment. The Svans 



