10 



Like the Greek Partridge it is extremely pugnacious and quarrelsome, especially in the 

 spring of the year ; and it is said to have been kept tame for fighting in former ages, as game- 

 cocks were, not so long ago, in England. Naumann says that the inhabitants of Cyprus still 

 (when he wrote) kept them for this purpose ; and he remarks that history relates that the 

 Eoman Emperor Alexander Severus was extremely fond of this sport. The present species is 

 very easily tamed ; and, according to Tournefort (Voy. au Levant, i. p. 386), the inhabitants of 

 Scio and other islands of the Greek archipelago keep tame Chukor Partridges, which they 

 allow to seek food in the fields like poultry. Baron Konig Warthausen gives (J. f. O. 1870, 

 p. 66) the following extract from the journal of Samuel Kiechel, who travelled through almost 

 the whole of Europe between 1585 and 1589: — "In this island (Rhodes) many Partridges are 

 kept, some peasants having as many as 400 or 500, more or less. They breed, and are as tame 

 as geese. In the morning a boy or girl drives them out into the fields ; and they fly away and 

 search for food during the day. Towards evening the child goes out in search of them ; and 

 when they hear the child's call they fly towards him or her, and are led back to the house of 

 their owner." The Chukor Partridge breeds like the Greek Partridge, their nests and eggs 

 being very similar. Lord Lilford, who found it breeding in Cyprus, writes to me as follows : — 

 " We found several nests, containing from thirteen to sixteen eggs each, and consisting of dry 

 grasses with a few withered leaves, and in one instance a good many feathers ; these nests were 

 placed in the centre of low, very thick-growing lentisk bushes, in one case close to a much 

 frequented mule-track. The eggs are remarkably small for the size of the bird ; but these eastern 

 birds are themselves smaller than those of South Italy and Sicily. In certain portions of Cyprus 

 very fine mixed bags might be made in the autumn of these Partridges, Francolins, Quails, 

 Woodcocks, and hares ; but, though the ground is not difficult to travel, the density of the ever- 

 green scrub renders good dogs and plenty of them absolutely necessary." 



A series of eggs of the Chukor Partridge in my collection from Palestine differ from those 

 of the common Eedleg in having the ground-colour paler, and the markings, as a rule, less clearly 

 defined ; but they vary much, inter se, some being pale whitish buff with the smallest possible 

 reddish dots, whereas others are tolerably closely marked with dull rufous blotches. In size 

 they vary from 1^ by l^- inch to Iff by 1^ inch. I have not deemed it necessary to give a 

 Plate of the present species, as the chief characteristic, viz. the distribution of the black at the 

 base of the bill, is not so easily shown on a Plate ; but the woodcuts of the heads of the two 

 species at the end of the present article will clearly show this character, that on the right being 

 Caccabis saxatilis, and that on the left Caccalis chukar. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a,d,b,2- Phandos, Rhodes, December 11th, 1874 (C. G. Danford). c, d , d, $ . Near Smyrna, January 

 10th, 1866 (G. v. Gonzenbach). 



E Mus. Lord Lilford. 

 a,b,6,c,2. Cyprus, April 29th, 1875. d. Capo di Gata, Cyprus, May 8th, 1875 (L.), e, ?. Smyrna 



