202 JOUENAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVll. 



The only two eggs I have seen are two in my collection sent me 

 from S. Persia, and taken on 27th April 1917. They are typical 

 normal Black Partridge's eggs, and measure 37-0 x 31 '0 and 37*3 



X 31 "0 mm. 

 Whitehead and Rattray both found it breeding on the N.-W. 



Frontier. 



General HaUts.— The Persian Black Partridge inhabits much the 

 same -kind of cover as the last bird, but within its Indian limits 

 g^erally haunts much more broken ground. It is found every- 

 where iia suitable places in the Baluchistan and Afghan Hills up 

 to at leapt 7,000 feet, and is common up to 4,000 feet in most 

 localities along the frontier. 



In Persia it is said to be common along many of the river beds 

 in the Tamarisk and heavy grass which grows so luxuriantly on their 

 banks. 



Capt. C. E. S. Pitman informs me that these partridges drink 

 very regularly every morning and evening. 



Francolinus francolinus melanonotus. 

 TJie Assam Black Partridge. 



Francolinus melajionotus. —Hnme, Stray Feath. XI., p. 305 (1888) (Assam 

 and Manipur). 



Perdix francolinus. — Lath., In. Orn. II., p. 644 (1790) (Part) ; Lesson, Traite 

 d'Orn., p. 505 (1831), (Bengal, etc.). 



Francolinus vulgaris? var brevipes. — Hodg. in Grays Zool. Misc., p. 85, (1844), 

 (Nepal, nomen nudum.) ; id. Icon. ined. in B. M. Nos. 630 ; Bonap, C. B. 

 XLIIL, p. 414 (1856). 



Francolinus vulgaris. — Stephen in Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI., p. 319, (1819), 

 (Bengal, etc.) ; Adams, P. Z. S., 1858, p. 502 (Bombay, Bengal, etc.) id, ibid, 

 1859, p. 186 ; Irby, Ibis, 1861, p. 236 (Oudh and Kumaon) ; Jerd, B. of I., IIL, 

 p. 558 (1864) ; Blyth., Ibis, 1867, p. 157 (Manbhum) ; Beavan, Ibis, 1868, 

 p. 383 (Manbhum) ; Hume, N. & E. In. Birds, p. 537 (1873) ; Scully, Str. 

 Feath. VIII., pp. 348, 367 (1879) (Nepal Valley) ; Hume and Mars., Game- 

 Birds, n p. 9 (1879); Hume, Str. Feath. XL, p. 304 (1888) (Manipur); 

 Gates ea, Hume's N. & Eggs IIL, p. 428 (1890); Blanf., Jour. B. N. H. S., 

 IX., p. 186 (1894) (Bengal) ; Stuart Baker, ibid, XII., p. 492 (N. Cachar) ; 

 Blanf., Fauna. B. I. IV., p. 136 (1898) ; Stuart Baker, Jour. B. N. H. S., 

 XVIL, p. 971 (1907), (Khasia Hills) ; Higgins, ibid, XXIIL, p. 368 (1914) 

 (Manipur), 



Francolinus francolinus. — Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. M. XXII., p. 132 (1893). 



Francolinus francolinus melanonotus. — Hartert, Nov. Zool. XXIV. p. 290 

 (1917). 



VERNACULAR NAMES.— Kais-teiur (Nepalese) ; Tetri-sorai {Assamese) ; 

 Kembi (Manipuri) ; Dao-chirree (Cachari) ; Inrui-jirip (Katcha-Naga). 



Description. — Adult Male. — Similar to F. f. asice, but very much 

 darker both above and below ; the feathers of the upper parts have 

 the centres very dark brown, sometimes almost black, with their 

 paler edges very narrow and very rufous; the white bars on the rump, 

 upper tail-coverts and tail are very narrow. Below the white spots 

 are generally less round and more oval in shape ; on the extreme 



