PERDIX. 451 



Genus PEEDIX. 



The genus Perdix was established by Brisson in 1760 in his ' Omitho- 

 logia' (i. p. 219), and is one of the geneta which are additional to tbose 

 of Linnaeus. The Common Partridge (the Tetrao perdix of Linnaeus) is 

 of necessity the type. 



The Partridges are distinguished from the Pheasants by their short tails, 

 from the Grouse by their bare tarsi, and from the Quails by their larger 

 size and shorter first primary. The males of many of them are distin- 

 guished by having a spur on the tarsus *; but in some species this is only 

 represented by a blunt tubercle, and in others it is absent altogether. 

 The number of tail-feathers varies from twelve to eighteen. The nostrils 

 are bare of feathers, protected by a hard scale, and the tarsus is scutellated 

 in front, but reticulated behind. 



This group of birds contains from a hundred to a hundred and fifty species, 

 distributed throughout the world, except in the Arctic Region, the southern 

 portion of the Nearctic Region, and the Australian Region. There are 

 about fifty'species in the New World, which have been placed in a separate 

 subfamily, Ortyginse, the birds in which are characterized by the bidenta- 

 tion of both sides of the lower mandible. About forty species belong to 

 the Ethiopian Region, and about thirty to the Oriental Region. These 

 tropical Partridges have been subdivided into a great number of small 

 genera, founded upon very trivial characters ; but it is not known that 

 they differ in any important respect from the Partridges found in the 

 Palaearctic Region. About half a dozen species are found in the Palsearctic 

 Region ; but one or two others occasionally stray within its limits from the 

 Oriental Region. Three or four are European, two of which are residents 

 in our islands ; but one of them is known to have been introduced. 



The birds in the present genus principally frequent open country, culti- 

 vated fields, jungles, grassy hill-sides, and the open ground in wooded 

 districts. They are ground-birds, walking and running with great ease. 

 Their notes are harsh, and their flight is rapid. Their food consists of 

 grain, fruit, insects, &c. They rarely perch in trees. They make a very 

 shght nest on the ground, often under a bush ; and their eggs are nume- 

 rous, white or buff in colour, sometimes spotted with brown. 



* Naumann, Gray, and Macgilliviay agree in describing the rudiments of a spur on the 

 tarsus of the male Red-legged Partridge, but state that the Common Partridge is without 

 this appendage. Dresser, on the other hand, says that the male Common Partridge has 

 usually a nob behind, and that the Red-legged Partridge is without any j3pur on the tarsus. 

 It is needless to say which is correct. 



2g2 



