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the Indian ghauts (gallorperdix lunulosa), which is very handsome, 

 and of fine flavour. There is also its congener, the kokutree (gatto- 

 perdix spadiceus). But by far the noblest of all the partridge kind 

 is the Kowk-dicrra, or snow-partridge of the Himalayas (tetrao-galhu 



Himalayensis), which is five times the size of the common English 

 bird, and of most exquisite flavour. Imagine a partridge as big as 

 a turkey-hen ! The koivk-durra is of a uniform sober grey colour, 

 the feathers edged with reddish brown. It is not often met with 

 by the Indian sportsman, being an inhabitant of the mountainous 

 slopes of northern Cashmere, the Kohistan, and the higher levels 

 of the Himalaya. It is, however, to be found in the valley of 

 Koonawur, just behind our hill-sanatarium of Simla, where it might 

 be procured with some little trouble. Mr. Vigne, the traveller, 

 carried some of these noble partridges to England, and speaks of 

 them as tolerably well able to endure the hardships of a sea voyage. 

 Another of these giant partridges is tetrao-gallus Casjnus, called by 

 the Persians kef-i-derra or the royal partridge, which inhabits the 

 mountainous region lying south of the Caspian, and eastward to 

 Afghanistan. Of quails, there are several varieties in India, but it 

 seems to me that there are none better than those of our own country. 

 Some of the Indian varieties might be found, however, on trial, to 

 have qualities which would make them a desirable importation for 

 this colony. Of the rarer birds, which partake of the partridge and 

 quail character, the Thibetan sand-grouse (syrrhaptes Tibetanv.s) 

 might be introduced ; as well as the see-see, or sand-partridge of 

 Nepal and Persia {ammo-perdix Bonhami), which is said to be most 

 excellent game. Of the francolins, there is the beautiful Itraginus 

 cruentus, or blood-coloured francolin, of the Nepal hills. There is 

 also the Affghan bustard (otis Macqueeni) as well as otis houbara, 

 both of which are declared to be exceedingly good for the table. 

 These birds might probably be procurable vid Kurrachee and 

 Bombay. The so-called rock-pigeon of India, which is rather a 

 kind of partridge (Pterocles exustus and Pt. fasciatus) is very com- 

 mon in all the dry, sandy districts of the interior. They afford 

 good sport, and are excellent eating, and ought to be admirably well 

 adapted for the warmer parts of this colony. Coming to the 

 pheasant tribe, we find in the mountains of India some of the most 

 beautiful of all the members of this beautiful and interesting family. 

 If there is one bird more than another, indeed, which demands the 

 immediate attention of the Acclimatisation Society, and which is 

 worthy of all the expense and trouble we can bestow on it, it is the 

 Himalayan pheasant, in all its many varieties. There is the Khaleej 

 pheasant which has been lately introduced with success into Eng- 

 land ; the ^itcras, which is one of the most common about Almorah 

 and the valley of the Doon ; the brown Nepal pheasant, the Sylhet 

 pheasant, three feet long, of a glossy velvet black colour — the 

 Muthoora, or Chittagong pheasant, also of very large size. Of 

 another genus are the cheer (lophojphorus Wallichii) ; the jewari, or 



