GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 95 



Greeks, judging from a passage in Xenophon, 

 appear to have been in the habit of riding it down, 

 a sport which is still practised in Yarkand. 



The chukor is a good bird for introduction 

 abroad where partridges are required, on account 

 of its adaptable contstitution. It was tried in 

 New Zealand, and bade fair to succeed, but the 

 birds were not sufficiently protected, and were 

 all shot off almost at once. It would hardly be 

 worth while to turn it out in England, as we have 

 already the very similar red-legged partridge there. 

 Indeed, I have been asked whether the two were 

 not identical. But the red-leg or "French- 

 man " at home is a brown-backed bird, not greyish, 

 and has a number of black spots bordering the 

 black necklace outside, and thus is easily distin- 

 guishable from the chukor. 



Prjevalsky's Chukor. 



Caccabis magna, Brit. Mns. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, 

 p. 120. 



This is larger than the common chukor, and has the black 

 throat-band bordered with chestnut ; the general colour is paler. 

 Moreover, it is a more silent bird, though occasionally uttering a 

 two-syUabled note of a hollow sound, peculiar to itseU. It 

 inhabits South Kokonor, Tibet, and Tsaidam. 



Black.headed Chukor. 



Caccabis melanocephala, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. 

 XXII, p. 122. 



Much the largest of the chukor genus, being as big as a hen 

 pheasant, this species is likewise distinguished by its black cap 

 and very grey colour. It is found in South- West Arabia, and 

 is common in the country inland of Aden. 



