118 



blackish grey, the chin nearly white ; breast and flanks rufous buff, narrowly barred with dark grey ; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts buffy white ; beak browner than in the male. In size rather less than 

 the male, culmen 06, wing 4 - 8j tail 2'25, tarsus 1'15. 



This beautiful little desert Partridge is one of the Asiatic birds whose range just extends to 

 within the limits of the Western Palsearctic Region ; for it is only met with in the extreme south- 

 eastern portion, in the Euphrates valley, where it has lately been discovered by Mr. Danford to 

 be by no means uncommon. It is, however, found throughout Persia, in Northern India, and 

 in Thibet. Mr. C. G. Danford, to whom I am indebted for the loan of his series of specimens 

 from the Euphrates valley, sends me the following notes : — " Ammoperdix bonhami is to be found 

 in the valley of the Euphrates, near Biledjik, which point is probably the western limit of its 

 range. Though sometimes local, it is tolerably abundant, and frequents stony mountain-sides 

 and gullies from the level of the river to at least 1500 feet above it. It is most numerous near 

 cultivated ground, often occurring in company with Caccabis chukar. Its flight is quick, straight, 

 and short — in fact, very Quail-like ; and it utters a very distinctive note on rising. The coveys 

 seen were small, one of seven being the largest; but this was in February, when they had 

 doubtless been thinned by Hawks &c. 



" We first met with them near the village of Bal-kys (honey-girl) while wandering through 

 the rocky valleys which probably constituted the necropolis of the ancient city of Zeugma. 

 Here we were startled from archaeological dreams by the sudden rise of a covey of Partridges 

 new to our experiences. It was then too late to follow them up ; so we returned next day, and, 

 by dint of hard work, managed to bag six brace. 



" No bird could be more beautifully adapted to its habitat than this lovely little Partridge, 

 its coloration being the exact reflex of the pearly greys and fawns of the surrounding landscape. 

 The natives call it ' Tchil keklik,' a name which is also applied in other parts of Turkey to the 

 common Grey Partridge (Perdix cinerea), which it exactly resembles." 



According to Mr. Blanford (E. Persia, ii. p. 274) " the Tihu is found everywhere in Persia, 

 except the forest-region, from the sea-level to at least 7000 feet above the sea in Southern, and 

 not much less in Northern, Persia. They keep much to low hills and stony ravines about the 

 base of hill-ranges. During the spring and summer they are found in pairs and singly ; in the 

 winter they are occasionally to be met with in small coveys, but by no means so frequently as 

 Caccabis, nor do they collect, as far as my observation extends, in equal numbers. They may 

 usually be seen walking quietly up stony hillsides, not running so swiftly as most Partridges, 

 nor caring much for concealment ; indeed when they wish to hide, it is sufficient for them to 

 remain still ; for their colour so closely resembles that of the sand and stones around that they 

 are most difficult to detect. When they rise it is much like a Quail, with a rather quick flight, 

 and a whistle uttered as they start. Their ordinary call is a double note repeated several times. 

 They are excellent eating, far superior to the dry Caccabis, and only second, if they are second, 

 to the Francolin." 



Mr. A. O. Hume writes of this species (Stray Feathers, i. p. 226), " Common in the Salt range 

 and in the hills that divide the Punjab from Afghanistan, and found, but by no means in equal 

 numbers, in those which divide Sindh from Khelat, and again in those which run up the Mekran 



