418 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVll. 



be a dull pale rather earthy rufous on these parts. This is most 

 especially noticeable on the lower breasts, abdomens, vents and 

 thigh-coverts. 



Colours of the Soft Parts. — The same asinF.jp. pictus. 



Measurements. — The Northern form does not appear to be any 

 larger than the Southern, and birds from the extreme North of the 

 Tange of pallida are no larger than those from Ceylon. 



24 birds examined by me vary from 131 to 146 mm., an average 

 140*1 mm., but probably two large series of both forms would 

 show even less difierence. 



Distribution. — Practically the southern boundary of the Black 

 Partridge is the Northern boundary of this bird. It is found as 

 iar South as Udaipur, Jawar, Saugur, Jhansi and Bundelkhand, 

 l)ut to the East in Behar is replaced by typical pictus. The British 

 Museum series contains birds from Gondal, Deesa, Jhansi, 

 iSaugur, Ahmedabad, Abu, Neemuch and Bundelkhand. 



Type Locality. — Odypore (Udaipur). 



Nidification. — Quite indistinguishable in any way from that of 

 i;rue F. pictus fictus. The breeding time and the nature of ground 

 selected is the same, and the eggs cannot be distinguished from one 

 another. 



It must, however, be noted that Whitehead found them breeding 

 in Sehore in the months of April, May and June ; the birds were com- 

 mon, and he found numerous nests, all in these three months. 



Aitken found them breeding in Berar in the monsoons, principally 

 In August and September, and it is interesting to note that he re- 

 <5ords that five is the largest number of eggs he has found in a clutch. 

 Blewitt,however, says that in Jhansi 7 or 8 is the regular number of 

 eggs laid. At the same time, amongst the few eggs I have examined 

 ^ere two hard-set clutches of 3 only from this very place. Over 

 most of its range 4 or 5 eggs is probably the normal full number in 

 s, clutch. 



Hume gives the following measurements for 20 eggs, and 9 of my 

 •own agree with them. "In length they vary from 1"3" to 1"48" 

 (33-0 to 37-2 mm.), and in breadth from 1-1" to 1-25" (27-9 to 

 31-7 mm.). But the average of a score is 1-4" x I'lS" (35-5 X 

 .29 • 6 mm.) 



General Habits. — The habits of the Northern Painted Partridge 

 ■do not differ in any way from those of the Southern bird. 



They frequent much the same kind of cover and country, though 

 in one instance Davidson found them in the Babul Jungle fringing 

 a nullah running through village land in Sholapur,and several other 

 writers have recorded them as regularly haunting sugarcane from 

 Ideating which crop Vidal states that he obtained good bags. 



