108 



THE CHUKAR PARTRIDGE, 



legged Partridge, being perpetually at war with their 

 fel!ow captives. 



These figures will give a tolerable idea of this 

 small group. The others belonging to it are the Greek 

 Partridge, Perdix saxatilis of authors, so very close- 

 ly allied to the last, as by many to be considered 

 identical ; the distinctions have never been clearly 

 pointed out, and it is a bird very likely to extend to 

 India. Plate V. will shew what has been considered 

 P. Chukar. 



The Greek Partridge is found abundantly upon 

 the German Alps of middling height, never descend- 

 ing to the plains or low valleys. They remain in 

 small coveys until the breeding season, when they 

 pair like the others, the female making her nest in 

 more concealed situations under the roots of trees, 

 or among stones or rocks, covered with brush. The 

 eggs are yellowish- white, indistinctly blotched with 

 reddish-yellow. They scarcely stretch into France, 

 being found only sparingly in some of the higher 

 mountainous provinces. It is most abundant in the 

 Ottoman empire, in the Greek Islands, and in the 

 south of Italy. 



The other is the Perdix Rufa or Red-legged 

 Partridge. The last has now been introduced into 

 several of the southern counties of England, and ap- 

 pears to succeed and multiply. As game, however, 

 they are esteemed neither by the sportsman or epi- 

 cure, their flesh being much drier than that of the 

 ordinary bird, while their skulking habits upon 



