THE NAE-BADA valley 45 



bird revered by the Hindus as a type of conjugal affection. 

 Tbey are nearly always seen in pairs, and, should one of 

 them be shot by the ruthless gunner, the companion bird 

 will return again and again to the spot, to hover and 

 lament over its slain friend in a manner that generally 

 prevails on the hardest hearted to grant immunity to the 

 race for ever after. A contrast to this happy union of 

 lovers is found by the Hindii in the Braminy ducks,^ 

 which also associate in pairs, but, by a cruel fate, are 

 compelled to pass their nights on the opposite banks of a 

 stream, wailing forth their unavailing love in the melan- 

 choly " chuliwa, chukwi," which few travellers by the 

 rivers of India have failed to hear in the dusk of the 

 evening. Their unfitness for the table, probably more 

 than the Hindii adage against their slaughter, protects 

 them from the gun. 



Of other winged game, the gray quail — ^best of Indian 

 game birds, in my opinion — will be found in good numbers 

 in most grain fields. I have never seen them here in 

 such swarms as in some parts of upper India, where 

 eighty or a hundred brace may be bagged in a day ; but 

 the sport is none the worse for that. Twenty brace is a 

 first-rate bag in Central India, and generally the sports- 

 man has to be contented with much less. The common 

 gray partridge, which closely resembles in appearance 

 the English bird, abounds in many places. It hugs the 

 vicinity of villages, and feeds foully. I have seen a 

 covey of them run out of the carcase of a dead camel, 

 and speed across the plain like so many hares. These 

 nasty habits, and its skulking nature, much belie its 

 appearance as a bird of game. Far different is the gallant 

 painted partridge,^ which here takes the place of the 

 black partridge ^ of upper India. I have seen the latter 

 in Bandelkand ; but I am positive that it nowhere occurs 

 in the Central Provinces. The appearance of the two 

 species is so alike, and their habits are so identical, that 

 assertions to the contrary have no doubt arisen from 

 mistake. No game bird could afford more perfect shoot- 

 ing than the painted partridge. Of handsome plumage, 



1 CascuTca ruhila. ^ FrancoUnus pictus. * F. ■ 



