Snow-Cocks. 203 



from 12,000 to 17,500 feet and, but very 

 rarely, on the southern side of the snows. 



The nest of this species is said to be 

 a hole scratched in the ground near a 

 stone or bush. The eggs are usually five 

 in number, oval in shape and fairly glossy. 

 The ground-colour is a stone-colour tinged 

 with olive or brown and the whole egg is 

 spotted with reddish brown. They 

 measure from 2*5 to 2 '8 in length and 

 from 175 to rqS in breadth. 



In the male and female, the crown, the 

 back of the neck and the mantle are grey. 

 The whole upper plumage, with the greater 

 part of the visible portions of the closed 

 wing, is ashy-grey finely vermiculated with 

 black, the feathers of the rump and the 

 wings being bordered with rufous or 

 chestnut. The middle tail-feathers are 

 rufous grey mottled with black ; the others 

 more or less chestnut marked with black. 

 The first ten quills of the wing are white 

 broadly tipped with black. The sides of 

 the head and of the neck are white. A 

 broad chestnut band stretches from the 

 eye over the ear, expanding into a large 

 patch on the shoulder, and another 

 chestnut band margins the throat. The 

 breast is white, each feather with a black 

 band across it. The lower plumage is 



