CHAPTER VIII. 



The Forest Partridge. 



The Partridges which remain to be dealt with, 

 are pre-eminently forest birds, never going far 

 from cover, and often perching. Most of them 

 have very short tails, but one, the Bamboo Par- 

 tridge, has the tail longer than in any other Indian 

 species, so as rather to recall a smaU pheasant in 

 appearance. 



The Bamboo Pairtridge. 



Bambusicola fvtchii, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, 

 Vol. IV, p. 'no. 



This Partridge shows no difference in plximage 

 according to sex ; the male has a spur on each 

 shank, but this may be present in the female also. 

 The plumage is brown above, spotted with chest- 

 nut for the most part ; the face is buff, with a dark 

 band behind the eye ; the breast dull chestnut 

 with some white spots, and the under-parts below 

 this buff, with large black spots shaped like a 

 heart. The tail is barred brown and buff, and 

 the pinion quills are chestnut without bars. The 

 bill is brown, the eyes orange-hazel, and the legs 

 grey. 



This Partridge is about fourteen inches long, of 

 which the tail measures nearly five ; thus, it is easy 



