100 



over into Thibet ; but it does not extend so far east as Sikkim. It is also met with in the Salt 

 range of the Punjab and its more alpine regions, passing into Afghanistan." Captain Beavan 

 says (Ibis, 1868, p. 384) that it "is very generally found on the hills about Simla; and the first 

 time I saw wild specimens was in April 1866, when, marching up to that station from Umballah 

 by the new cart-road, I put a pair up off the road-side. I have since had numerous skins sent 

 to me from Kotgurh, a small village in the interior some fifty miles beyond Simla, where 

 numbers are annually snared by the natives, who sell their skins to the European inhabitants 

 of Simla. They seem to frequent tolerably open hill-sides, where cacti abound." Colonel Irby 

 also speaks of the present species as being common in Kumaon, and especially numerous at a 

 place called Jullut or Moonsheyaree, seven days' march from Almorah. It was found in 

 Yarkand by Dr. Henderson, who says (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 284) that "it swarms (wherever 

 the rivers debouch into the plains) over a belt of country some ten or fifteen miles in width." 



Mr. Severtzoff informs me that it is found throughout the entire Thian Shan, south-west 

 and north-east of the river Hi, but it is questionable if it occurs in the true Altai range, north 

 of Zaissan Lake. It inhabits the mountains near Samarcand, and in the small desert-ranges 

 north of Bokhara, westward to and including the Sheihdjeili range on the right bank of the 

 Oxus, some fifty miles N.E. of Khiva. Colonel Przevalsky met with it in the mountains of 

 Western China which skirt the desert of Gobi ; and Mr. Swinhoe states (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 400) 

 that it inhabits " North China, southwards to the north bank of the Upper Yangtsze, in the 

 gorges. Chinese specimens have a deep blush of rosiness over their upper plumage, which is 

 not seen in Himalayan skins." I must not omit to name that a Eed-legged Partridge, said to 

 be the present species, has been introduced into St. Helena. Mr. Melliss writes (Ibis, 1870, 

 p. 102) that its existence there was mentioned in Cavendish's ' Travels ' as early as the year 

 1588 ; and, he adds, there is no record to show whence it was introduced, but it is most probably 

 the present species, though a closer examination of specimens from St. Helena is desirable. 



Like the Greek Partridge the present species frequents rugged, mountainous localities, 

 generally such as are sterile or covered with bushes where it can find shelter. Lord Lilford, 

 who met with it in the Ionian Islands, says (Ibis, 1860, p. 238) that it "haunts the stony hill- 

 sides, never, as far as my own observation goes, descending to the plain. It is not easy to make 

 a good bag of these birds, even in localities where they are numerous, as the coveys disperse on 

 being disturbed, and, on alighting, each bird takes a line of its own, and sets off running to the 

 nearest covert, which in these parts generally consists of thick evergreen scrub, from which it is 

 very difficult to flush them." As a rule the Chukor is averse to taking flight, and will neither 

 fly far nor often, trusting rather to its legs to carry it out of the way of danger. Dr. Henderson 

 relates (I. c.) that in Yarkand the natives know well how to take advantage of this. " The 

 Yarkandies," he writes, " disdain the use of fire-arms for the chase of these birds. A party of 

 men mounted on ponies and armed with whips pursue a covey, and in a very short time succeed 

 in capturing the whole flock. The Chikone will never rise more than twice ; and after that, as 

 they run, they are easily overtaken and knocked over with whips. This sport is carried on over 

 the most terribly rough ground in the rocky valleys ; but the Yarkand ponies traverse at the top 

 of their speed country that most men would only crawl over with the utmost caution and 

 deliberation." 



