THE GAME BIRDS OF l^DIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 6o9 



Vernacular Names. — Roli, Ram Chukru, (Chamba) ; Peora, Bantitur, 

 (Hindu). 



Description, — Adult Male. — Differs from A. t. torqueola in the follow- 

 ing paiuiculars. The chestnut of the head is darker and not so bright ; 

 the breast is neither so dark nor so pure a grey, but is more tinged 

 with ashy ; the abdomen is not so pure a white, being nearly always 

 strongly suffused with rufescent. 

 Colours of Soft Parts. — As in the other forms. 

 Measurements. — These are much the same as in the Common Hill 

 Partridges, but a bigger series of measurements are required. The 

 wings of these in the British Museum collection run from 150 

 to 161 mm., and average (13 birds) 154 "6 mm. 



Adult Female. — ^Differs from the adult female of A. t. torqueola in 

 much the same respects as does the male from the male of that bird. 

 The chestnut of the throat is much paler, the breast a paler grey, and 

 the abdomen is more suffused with rufescent. 



Measurements. — Much the same as in the Common Hill Partridg<j. 

 The wings of these I have been able to measure run from 144: to 150 

 mm. and average 148" 2 mm. 



Distribution. — Simla Hills, extending North and West into Chamba, 

 Kullu and also Kangra. 



Nidification. — The only information recorded about the breeding 

 of this bird is that by Mr. Whistler in the Bombay Natural History 

 Society's Journal. He thus writes : — 



" A nest was recently obtained for me about 8,500 feet near 

 Mahasoo, Simla. 



" It was first found on 25th April through the flushing of the 

 parent birds, but although they had betrayed the approximate 

 whereabouts of the nest, it was discovered only after a careful 

 search ; there were then 7 eggs and on the 27th there were still 

 only 7 eggs, but 8 were found the next morning. When the place 

 was again visited on the 2nd May it was found that another and 

 last egg had been laid, making in all a clutch of nine. On each 

 of these subsequent visits neither parent was seen and the egg.s 

 were invariably cold, yet from the placing of grass over the entrance 

 hole there was no doubt that the nest had not betn deserted. 



" Endeavours were made to snare a bird at the nest but a first 

 attempt with horse-hair nooses was unsuccessful ; so on the 7th 

 May a gut-noose was set and the nest was visited a second time in 

 the evening. There had been a hail storm and hail-stones then 

 lying thickly around ; my correspondent on arriving at the mst 

 was astonished to find it completely covered over with grass and 

 while he was looking at this and wondering at the reason the bird 

 suddenly bounced out and as it passed he made a lucky grab ;\nd 

 caught it in mid- air in his hand ; the broken gut-snare was then 

 round its neck. He kept the bird and set a fresh noose in the 



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