THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 423^ 



ground with a few chance leaves or bits of grass to line it. The eggs 

 vary in number, normally, from 3 to 6, very rarely more, whilst 8 

 appears to be the maximum. In shape they are oval, inclined to be 

 pyriform in a few cases, and nearly always very pointed at the 

 small end ; they are not, however, genuine peg-topped shaped 

 eggs at all, and I have seen no example which could be so called. 

 The colour varies from pale stone colour to pale olive-buff or pale 

 olive-brown. One clutch in my collection is probably a very 

 unusual one, being a light olive-slate of a tint I have seen in no 

 other Francolin's egg. 



Including the eggs in the British Museum, the average of 35 eggs 

 is 35-6 X 29-6 mm. 



Gates gives the range of variation in length as between 31 "8 and 

 40*6 mm., and in breadth as between 26-7 and 30*5 mm. All my 

 eggs come within these limits. 



The texture is similar to that of F.francoUnus, but rather smoother 

 and finer, and the shell is not nearly so stout ; in fact, for a 

 game-bird's egg it is rather fragile and brittle. 



General Habits. — The Chinese Francolin is very much like- 

 the Painted Francolin in its habits, etc., and like that 'Partridge 

 prefers dry to damp localities, indeed in Burma its distribution 

 seems to be entirely governed by that factor. Gates in his Hand- 

 Book writes : 



" The Chinese Francolin is found in dry open forest and scrub 



" jungle, and it generally keeps to hilly undulating country in 



" preference to the low flat plains. It is found in nearly 



"every part where the rainfall is moderate, and it avoids 



" thick, humid forests. It frequents the smaller tracts of cul- 



" tivation when these are surrounded by high grass and brush - 



" wood intermingled with low trees, 



" Although this bi rd is found singly or in pairs, and never 



" in coveys, very many birds congregate together in favourite 



" localities. The cosks perch freely on the larger boughs of 



" trees as well as on posts, stumps, ant-hills and other objects 



" which raise them a few feet above the ground. Their loud and 



" pleasant call is heard pretty well all the year round, but 



" more especially on fresh, cold- weather mornings. When 



" crowing thev are not very shy ; but they are difficult to 



"detect and "on being closely approached they drop very 



" quietly to the ground and disappear quickly." 



They are favourite cage birds with the Chinese and Burmese, and 



are often allowed considerable liberty, as they soon beconie tame and 



confiding. It is probably due to the escape of tamed birds that the 



Chinese Francolin has been recorded as one of the birds to be found 



round about Bangkok. 



