270 On the Breeding of Hey's Rock-Partridge.


on tip-toe, so to say, with heads low and necks stretched out

to their fullest extent.


Hey’s Rock-Partridge has two kinds of note. First, a

quietly and often uttered conversational note, something like that

of the Chukot but more musical. They talk constantly in this way

together, and then the note has a confidential twittering sound;

again, if disturbed, they make use of the same note, but then it is

louder and protesting. The birds of both sexes use this talking

note. Their other note is the call or “ crow ” of the male bird,

a double call-note clear and ringing, but quite unreproducible in

syllables.


A' # •X- O-


Since the above was written the birds have been liberated

in the garden enclosure. There are some Scaly-breasted Quails,

Chukors and Grey Francolins in the same enclosure, and it is

interesting to observe the great differences in the habits of these

allied birds, under comparatively natural conditions. The

Chukors when they wish to hide crouch by a tuft of herbage ;

the Hey’s Partridges on the other hand choose the barest part of

a dry bank which just matches them in colour, or else squat

flat in one of their dusting holes into which they exactly fit,

their backs level with the surrounding ground. I have then

often known a visitor, though standing almost over them, quite

unable to see them with an unaccustomed eye. The Francolins

I have only seen once in the last three weeks: you could not

find them without a spaniel.


On the night of the furious gale of February 28, the wind

burst open the owls’ partition door. In the morning one part¬

ridge was missing, and the rest were much ruffled. They must

have gone through a bad time that night, for though morning saw

the owls back in their own compartment, looking preteruaturally

innocent, the missing partridge was presently found half eaten

in the entrance to a burrow.


I have now given one of the young birds to the Zoo¬

logical Gardens. Itis in the Western Aviary, and seems to have

paired with a Californian Quail.



