THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 663 



defined and often considerably pointed, true ovals are unusual, but 

 very broad eggs are not uncommon. 



In size they vary a good deal but I have only had a small series pass 

 through my hands and the extremes of measurement are not so wide 

 apart as in the better known eggs of A. r. intermedia. My longest 

 and broadest eggs are 41-6 by 30 "7 and 40 "2 by 31" 8 mm. respec- 

 tively, and the shortest and most narrow are 37' 2 by 30' and 38* 4 by 

 26- 9 mm. 



General Habits. — The Rufous-throated Hill Partridge is a bird of 

 lower elevation than the Common Hill Partridge, though the habitat of 

 the two overlap, and they may even be found breeding together over 

 all heights between 4,000 and 6,000 feet ; but whereas torqueola will 

 seldom be found below 5,000 feet rvfogularis may often be shot during 

 the cold weather well below 2,000 feet and indeed sometimes almost 

 into the Plains. Even in the summer it may be taken breeding be- 

 tween 2,000 and 2,500 feet, though this is below the normal elevation 

 they frequent. 



They are distinctly birds of heavy jungle, and, I think, prefer tree 

 and evergreen forest with a fairly thick undergrowth to any other 

 kind of country, but they may be shot out of bamboo jungle, scrub, 

 the heavy secondary growth on deserted cultivation, and rarely in 

 long grass and bracken on the outskirts of forest. 



They fly well, but from the very nature of their haunts, are hard to 

 put up without dogs and with dogs they very often take refuge in the 

 nearest big tree instead of taking to flight. They are not wild, and 

 can be easily approached. According to Beavan — 



" About Darjiling it is found generally in coveys, and numbers 

 are captured by the Lepchas by calling them -within shot, and 

 taken into the station of Darjiling for sale. These birds inhabit 

 such dense cover that shooting them in any other way is almost 

 out of the question." 

 Their call is a beautiful loud double whistle, a sound like Wheea-whu 

 repeated constantly and slightly ascending in scale with each repeti- 

 tion. It is a very loud ringing cry, and can be heard at a very long 

 distance even in very heavy jungle where sound carries so short a way. 

 It is uttered principally during the breediug season in the early morn- 

 ings and evenings, and once heard can never be forgotten. 



The coveys, which consist of the old birds and family, sometimes 

 two families joining forces, may number anything from 6 to a dozen. 

 They keep together until February or March, after which the young 

 clear off to see to their o wn family arrangements. 

 In the Dafla Hills Col. Godwin Austen says : — 



" It was very common at 4,000 feet and upwards at our camp 

 under Toroputu Peak, and the Dafla guides snared several. The 

 Daflas, like the other Hill Tribes, are clever at this art, and the 

 mode of capturing pheasants and partridges is simple and worth 



