Family PHASIANID^. Genus Caccabis. 



Subfamily Per dicing. 



RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 



CACCABIS KU¥K—{Lmnisus). 



Geographical Distribution. — British .• Introduced into 

 England in 1770 by the then Marquis of Hertford and Lord 

 Rendlesham, who turned out chicks in Suffolk. Chiefly dis- 

 tributed over the eastern counties of England : Norfolk, Suffolk^ 

 Essex, Kent, and Sussex ; only occasionally elsewhere. Attempts 

 have been made to introduce this bird into Scotland and Ireland, 

 but with small success, climatic conditions probably being the 

 principal cause of failure. Foreign : South-west Europe. Most 

 commonly distributed in South and Central France, Portugal, 

 Spain, the Balearic Islands, Corsica, Elba, North and Central Italy, 

 Switzerland, and Savoy. It becomes much more local and rare 

 in Northern France, Belgium, and the districts lying round its 

 usual habitat. It has been introduced into Madeira and the 

 Azores. 



Allied Forms. — Caccabis petrosa, an inhabitant of North- 

 west Africa, the Canaries, Gibraltar, and Sardinia. Differs from 

 the Red-legged Partridge in having the nape and collar brown. 

 C. saxatilis, with vars. chukar and magna, range from the Alps 

 to North China. Differ from the Red-legged Partridge in being 

 larger and paler, and in having the throat and lores buff (chukar) ; 

 neck-band double ; throat buff, but lores black [magna). 



Time during which the Red-legged Partridge may be 

 taken. — September ist to February ist. 



Habits. — In many of its habits this handsome Partridge 

 differs considerably from the preceding species. It is much more 

 arboreal in its tastes, and shows a decided preference for rougher 

 ground, such as commons, the open treeless parts of woods, and 

 strips of heathy land covered with gorse, and rush, and bramble. 



