THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



205 



100 eggs average 36 "5 X 30 • 9 mm.; the longest and shortest meas- 

 ure respectively 39 • x 33 • mm. and 34 • x 28 • 3 mm. , the broad- 

 est and most narrow 37 "6x33 '3 mm. and 34 -3x27 '7 mm. 



Like all Francolinus the cock-bird is monogamous and jDrobablv 

 the birds pair for life. 



General HahiU. — The Assam Black Partridge is principally a bird 

 of grass lands, seldom frequenting the scrub and tree jungle so often 

 haunted by the birds of the South and West. This is probablv due 

 to the fact that in the humid regions of the North-East, all forests are 

 of such dense and lofty growth that they are not suited to the 

 habits of the birds as are the sparse "Sal " and other forests of the 

 North- West of India. 



They are very common in many of the grass lands, both North and 

 South of the Brahmapootra, being found in the long elephant grass 

 and thick reeds close to the river, and in the wide stretches of sun- 

 grass which cover miles upon miles of the plains at the foot hills 



of the Himalayas. Nowhere, however, do they — as far as I know 



exist in numbers sufficient to supply a full day's sport to anyone 

 out to make a bag, but for the man who wants a day with Nature 

 and his gun, they suffice to supply an excuse and much hard work 

 with a few birds to bring home in the evening. 



Many years ago — in 1883 to be exact, — there were still a few 

 birds left in Nadia, some 40 miles from Calcutta but though no one 

 ever shot there, and I never heard of their being trapped, they and 

 the last of the Black Buck disappeared altogether a few years later. 



In Sylhet, Cachar and Manipur they were fairly numerous, in the 

 two last places in the grass plains at about 2,000 feet. 



Personally I hardly ever shot these birds, as the places they 

 frequented were also the grazing grounds of the Gaur and Buffalo, 

 which one dare not disturb with a shot. The country they were 

 found in North Cachar was extraordinarily beautiful. Great rolling 

 downs, covered with short brilliant green grass and scattered 

 oak-trees, whose great black trunks showed up effectively against 

 the green. Here and there meandered tiny streams, their banks 

 edged with long semi-withered sun-grass which had, from its 

 position, been able to withstand the fires which had burnt the rest 

 of the grass for many miles in all directions. In these strips and 

 in the damper pockets the Black Partridges took up their quarters, 

 and the greetings of their cheery calls as one started out in the 

 early dawn after big game is a sound I shall never forget. 



The call made one feel that the birds were full of the absolute joy 

 of life, and it was easy to understand the Mahomedan version of 

 the call " Subhan tere kudrut " (All powerful, who shall describe 

 thy power), the early morning hymn of praise which the Mahome- 

 dans say all birds and beasts raise to their Creator. 



