The Partridges of Bengal. 223 



THE PARTRIDGES OF BENGAL. 



BY E. C. BEAVAN, LIEUT. BENGAL SUEVEY DEPAETMENT. 



Theee are three kinds of partridges commonly found in Bengal. 

 The grey partridge (Perclix Ponticeriana, Hardwicke, III. Lid. 

 Zool., col. plate 213), the " Gora tetur" of the natives, is a 

 bird very much like its English congener in colour, but a trifle 

 smaller. It affords fair sport for the gun, but unless properly 

 dressed, is not thought much of for the spit, being generally 

 hard and dry. They are invariably found in pairs, in low 

 bushy scrub, where the soil is dry, and occur in great abun- 

 dance in the Rajhmahal Hills, the slopes of which are covered 

 with low, thick, and thorny bushes, growing in a dry, stony soil. 



The general method of shooting them is to employ beaters, 

 who, armed with long sticks, and almost nude, work willingly 

 the whole day for a few coppers, and forming line through 

 the jungle, drive everything out before them. 



This jungle seldom exceeds five feet in height, and the 

 plan usually followed is for one or two of the guns to go ahead 

 and look out for chances, while the remainder march with the 

 beaters. The game thus procured consists generally, in the 

 districts I am alluding to, of these " grey " partridges, hares, 

 and quail, and it is well to have a servant near with a rifle, 

 as often a deer or hog is disturbed, and sometimes even a tiger. 



The grey partridge does not seem to care much about water, 

 being generally found in very dry country, at some distance 

 from cultivation or crops of any kind; its food consists 

 chiefly of grass seeds, jungle berries, insects, and occasionally 

 dhar or rice, when the fields of the latter run up, as they do 

 in Maunbloom, between patches of thick cover. 



The difference of the sexes is not perceptible outwardly, 

 except by the spurs, with which the male bird is armed ; these 

 are very slightly developed in the female. According to Mr. 

 Blyth, the habitat of this bird extends throughout India gene- 

 rally, as far as Ceylon, but it is not found to the east of the 

 Bay of Bengal. The call of this species is loud and clear. 



We next come to the black partridge (Francolinus vulgaris, 

 Stephens, pi. 147, 148), called " Kola tetur" in Hindostanee. 

 It is a much handsomer and finer bird than the grey, affording 

 better sport, and considered equally superior for the spit. It 

 is about the size of the English partridge, perhaps slightly 

 larger. The greater part of the plumage of the male bird is 

 black, varied with dark brown on the wings, and spotted 

 sparingly with white on the breast ; but the female is of a more 



