ARBOEICOLA. 



97 



Genus ARBORICOLA. 



A peculiar row of superorbital bones present. Tarsus not spurred. Toes with 

 very long claws. Tail of fourteen soft feathers less than half length of wing. 

 Sexes alike in all except torqmolus. Throat and foreneck often thinly covered 

 or naked. Feathers of neck or throat, or of both, spotted. Patch of downy 

 feathers under the wing grey. First primary intermediate between eighth and 

 tenth (fourth and fifth longest). Quills uniformly coloured. 



The Hill-Partridges occur throughout the Himalayas, but are found nowhere 

 else in India proper. They extend into Assam, Burma, and China. They 

 inhabit hill forests from 7,000 to 11,000 feet, and are usually seen solitary or in 

 pairs. Of short flight. Occasionally perch. Six to eight eggs, white. 



(i.) With upper hack barred with black. 

 62. Arboricola torciueolus. The Common Hill-Paetridgb. 



Torquis or torques = a. twisted neck-chain, necklace. 



Roll, Chamba; Peura, Kumaon ; Kaindal, Kangra; Kangkom, SiTckvm. 



^ 10 J' to 12"; 13 J oz. 2 8 oz. Legs slate-grey. Bill black.— if afe .- Crown 

 bright red. Broad necklace, grey, heavily marked dark brown. Foreneck white. 

 Back olive-brown, barred black. Breast pale ashy. Flank grey, edged chestnut, 

 with white central spot. — Female : Breast grey, tinged rusty, with middle of 

 throat rufous, unspotted. Crown brown, with black shaft stripes. Face and 

 neck rust-red, spotted black. Large white spots on flanks. Chamba to Sikkim 

 and Manipur. Six to eight eggs (1-58 x 1-25), pale grey, minutely speckled. 

 (J. 824. B. 1362. 0. 26. O.G. i. 160. H. & M. ii. 69.) 



R. Le M., Mussoorie, 1864. 



