548 BIRDS OF INDIA, 



or Pin-tailed Pheasants, as they are there called, being peculiar to 

 that region. 



Sub-fam. Perdicesle. 



Tarsus not feathered ; orbits generally plumed, or wanting the 

 nude eyebrow of the Grouse ; tarsus often spurred. 



This sub-family comprises an extensive group of birds of mode- 

 rate or small size, found over the greater part of the Old Continent, 

 frequenting fields, pastures, reeds, moors, and rocky hill sides, very 

 rarely preferring forests or jungles. They are distinguished from 

 Grouse by having the tarsus nude and generally scutate. The 

 beak is generally short and tolerably compressed, the margin entire, 

 and the nostrils protected by a hard scale. They lay numerous 

 eggs, and feed on grain, berries, insects, and small molluscs. 



There are several distinct types of form among them, differing 

 in the spurring of the tarsus, longer or shorter bill, coloration, 

 and habits ; and they are found throughout the Old World, not 

 extending to the eastern portion of Malayana, nor to Australia. 



The Partridges occurring in India may be divided into Snow- 

 cocks and Snow-partridges, peculiar to the highlands of Central 

 Asia and the Himalayas ; Partridges, (in ordinary parlance) com- 

 prising the Francolins, Chukors, Grey-partridges, Wood-partridges 

 and Bush-quails. Besides, there are the true Partridges, represented 

 by the common Grey-partridge of Europe, with one species from 

 Thibet ; and the great group of African Partridges. 



1st. — Snow-cocks and Snow-partridges. 



These comprise two genera of mountain Partridges peculiar to 

 the higher regions of Central Asia, which combine the naked 

 tarsi of Partridges with the habits and aspect of Grouse and 

 Ptarmigan, and may thus be said to form a link, both structurally 

 and geographically between the two groups. Both occur within 

 our limits. Bonaparte places them in his section Tetrao-gallea 

 of his Perdicince, but badly associates with them Galloperdix, 

 Francolinus, and the Grey-partridges of India, and also most of 

 the African Partridges, some of which, from their size, may 

 perhaps enter this group. Gray associates them with the Rock 

 and Sand-partridges (Chukors) to form his sub-fam. Caccabinte, 



