THE GAME BIRBS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 419 



Like the Southern bird, it does not appear to be much of a fighter. 

 Hume says that " it is one of the least pugilistic of Game-birds, is 

 easily caught in Quail nets, and very soon becomes extremely tame. 

 It makes a very gentle and affectionate pet, and even though 5 or 

 6 of different sexes may be confined together, they always seem 

 to live in perfect harmony." 



Like the Black Partridge, they are noisy birds, and call frequently 

 mornings and evenings through the breeding season as well as at odd 

 times during the hotter hours of the day. 



Hybrids between the Black and the Painted Partridges are very 

 common, as one might expect between two game-birds so closely con- 

 nected whose habitats overlap. After a very careful examination 

 of the material available, I think these specimens must be considered 

 true hybrids, and not intermediate specimens linking two geogra- 

 phical races of the same species. Over a considerable area bo< li 

 birds are to be obtained on the same ground running perfectly true 

 to type, and it is only here and there in such areas that we come a- 

 cross these hybrids. Nowhere can it be said that this hybrid bird 

 is the common form found in the locality. They are, however, very 

 interesting specimens, for they seldom, if ever, show differences in 

 plumage on the two sides of the body or broken and unequal mark- 

 ings. They just appear to be birds half-way between their two 

 parents and undoubtedly prove that they have been evolved but 

 recently from the same stock. 



Fkancolinus chinensis. 

 TJie Eastern or Chinese FrancoUn. 



Le Perdrix de la Chine.— Bviason, Orn. I., p. 234 (1760) (China). 



Tetrao chinensis.— Osheck., Voy. en Chine II., p. 326 (1771) (China). 



Tetrao pintadeanus.—Sco]^., del Flor. et Faun, p. 93 (1786). 



Tetrao perlatus.— Gmel., Syst. Nat. I., p. 758 (1788) (China). 



Perdix perlata-J.3.th.,Jnd. Orn. XL, p. 648 (1790) (China) ; Temm., Pig. et 



^""FrancdinusplrMul^-^te^^^^ in Shaw's Gen. Zool. XL, p. 325 (1819) (China); 

 Strickl., P. Z. S., 1842, p. 167 (China) ; Swinh., Ibis, 1860, p. 62 (Amoy) ; id 

 ibid, 1862, p. 50 (Hongkong) ; id, ibid, 1862, p. 259 Foochow) ; Blyth ibid, 

 1862, p. 387 (China) ; Swinh., ibid, 1867 p. 466, (Amoy); Anderson, Zool. Ex. 

 Yunnan Aves, p. 672 (1878) (Bhamo). o/ioqix.,m v^.o 



Perdix {Francolinus) maculatus.—Gv&y, Zool. Misc., p. 2 (1831) , id., J^asc. 



China, pi. 7 (1871). _„ ,,„,,. 



Perdixi>;i«2/m,-Blyth,J.A.S.B.,XII.,p. 1011 (1843). 



Francolinus sinensis.-mYth, Cat. B. Mus. As Soc P" ^^^ jl^^J^/cS . 

 Gould., P. Z. S., 1859, p. 151 (Siam) ; Swinh., P Z &., l^^^ P ^07 (S ChmaK 

 id.,Ibis, 1870, ;. 359 (Hainan) ; id., P- f • .?:• If.l' P' *J2« ^^'^^ 

 Ram., Ibis., 1875, p. 350 (Karen— nee) ; id- ibid., 1877, P- 4b«. 



Francolinus ^i;Le«.,-BIyth, Cat. B. Mus As &«;•' .^^^^^-j/tiaJ & J 

 (Pegu); Blanf , Ibis, 1870, p. 463' (Irawaddy VaUey) ; Blyth & Wald., Mam. & 

 Burma, p. 149 (1875). 



