432 TEXEAONTDiE. 



Eange. In these hills and mountain- chains its range is from the 

 level of the plains to about 11,000 feet, but a paler form, from 

 Ladak, is found and breeds, I believe, at much greater elevations. 



They lay in April, May, and June, a good deal according to 

 elevation, and I have eggs taken by Mr. Wilson in Thibet at an 

 elevation of 16,000 feet on the 29th of July. The nest, composed 

 of a little grass or a few leaves, at times laid on the flat surface of 

 the ground, at others in a slight depression, natural or scraped bv 

 the birds, is placed often in fields, often under the shelter of some 

 tuft of grass or dwarf bush on a grassy hill- side, occasionally under 

 some similarly-situated rock barely shaded by tufts of drooping 

 fern. 



I have taken many nests, but never found more than twelve eggs 

 in any nest, and, according to my own experience, should certainly 

 say that eight to ten were the usual number; others, however, 

 seem to have found more. 



Mr. W. Theobald makes the following note on the nidification 

 of this species in the neighbourhood of Pind Dadan Khan and 

 Katas in the Salt Eange : — 



" Lay in April and May ; eggs, twelve. Shape varies from 

 ovato-pyriform to blunt ovato-pyriform. Colour, yellowish white 

 or brownish cream-colour, faintly ringed and spotted with tan- 

 colour. Nest, a few leaves on ground under bushes." 



From Gurhwal Mr. Frederic Wilson writes : — " The Chukor 

 breeds at all elevations, from 4000 to 5000 feet on the lower hills 

 to 12,000 or 13,000 feet on our side of the Snowy Ranges, and to 

 16,000 feet beyond, and in Thibet. The nests may be found in 

 cultivated fields, on grassy hill-sides, stony ravines, almost every- 

 where, except in forest or amongst precipitous rocks. They are 

 (like those of all the rest of our game-birds) holes scraped in the 

 ground. In the lower hills it begins to lay in April, in the higher 

 in May ; and I have found fresh-laid eggs in middle of June. The 

 eggs are from seven to twelve or fourteen, sharply pointed, dirty 

 white, minutely powdered with light brown. Some are spotted 

 and blotched with the same." 



Dr. Scully tells us that in Nepal "it breeds from May t-o 

 June, usually at an elevation of about 6000 feet. On the 

 5th June a nest of the Chukor was found at Kakni Powah ; it 

 was on the ground under the edge of a rock, and well sheltered bv 

 ferns and small bushes. The nest was a mere pad of grass and 

 leaves, and contained seven nearly fresh eggs, which were neatly 

 arranged, six in a circle, with the small end pointing inwards, and 

 the seventh egg filled up the centre." 



Colonel Biddulph remarks that iu Gilgit the Chukor is " very 

 common. In summer it breeds at all elevations from 5000 to 

 10,000 feet." 



Major Wardlaw Eamsay says, writing of Afghanistan, " I ob- 

 tained one nest on the 16th of June." 



And Lieut. H. E. Barnes, also writing of Afghanistan, re- 

 marks : — " The Chukor is very common on the hills, and in the 



