12 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII, 
open bamboo jungle, in light secondary growth, and in cotton cultiva- 
tion, and in the Khasia Hills I have more than once taken the nest in 
the short grass, anything from one to three feet long, covering so many 
of the hills between 3,500 and 4,500 feet. Sometimes it makes a most — 
elaborate nest, this is especially the case when it lays in grass or brac- 
ken covered country. The nest itself is a mere hollow scratched 
amongst the roots of the grass, but it is well filled with grass and leaves 
form a soft pad with a well-formed depression in the centre for the 
eggs. Above the nest the grass is regularly twisted and interwoven 
so as to form a complete canopy or hood, and behind the grass is suffi- 
ciently beaten down and forced together to make a back which entirely 
hides the eggs from view. In front the same process is repeated, but 
a tunnel is left by which the bird enters and leaves the nest and which 
is often a couple of fect long. When nesting in scrub the nest is much 
simpler and generally nothing more than a well-lined hollow. For 
the purpose of this linmg I have never seen anything used but grass 
and leaves and dead fern fronds, but Cripps speaks of twigs in the 
two nests found by him. In bamboo jungle the eggs are generally 
laid on the bamboo leaves which have fallen into some natural hollow 
under the protection of a clump of bamboo, tree or bush. 
The number of eggs 'aid is most often 4, sometimes 5, rarely 6, and 
very rarely 7. They are undistinguishable from those of the other 
species of Arboricola, and like them, vary very greatly in size. 100 
eggs avirage in size 37°6 by 28°4 mm., and the maxima are 42°6 by 
28°4 mm. and the minima 32°4 by 26°2 mm., both maxima and both 
minima being found in the same egg. 
Hatits—This little Partridge is undoubtedly the low-level repre- 
sentative of the genus Arboricola. True it is sometimes found at 
considerable altitudes throughout its range, but typically it is a bird 
of 2,000 feet and under, and, though it may not be found in real plains 
country, it is most common in the broken foot hills of the higher ranges 
and South of the Brahmapootra whenever this broken, hilly kind of 
land is to be met with, the White-cheeked Hill-Partridge is almost sure 
to occur. Jn Sylhet it is found commonly on all the isolated patches 
of hills well away from the main ranges and in the Assam Valley much 
the same obtains. Unlike its brethren also, this Partridge is not so much 
a frequenter of dark, damp forests of mighty, densley growing trees. 
It probably prefers to all other kinds of cover the sparse scrub growth 
which is found in deserted cultivation where the hill soil is poor and 
stony. It is also very partial to bamboo jungle of any kind, and may 
often be found in quite open grassland as long as this is fairly near 
forest or jungle of some kind, for, when disturbed, it always flies 
straight to cover for protection. 
It is generally found in small coveys consisting of a pair Pe : old birds 
and their last brood, for the families remain united until it is time to 
again think of the burdens of house-keeping. They, however, when 
