TETRAOGALLUS CASPIUS. 



Caspian Snow Partridge. 



Tetrao Caspius, Gmel. Edit, of Linn. Syst. Nat., torn. i. p. 762.— S. G. Gmel. It., torn. iv. p. 67. tab. 10. 



Perdix Caspia, Lath. Ind. Orn., torn. ii. p. 655. 



Tetrao Caucasica, Pall. Zoog. Ross. Asiat, torn. ii. p. 76. pi. 



Perdix {Megaloperdix) Caucasica, Brandt, Bull. Sci. de l'Acad, Imp. de St. Petersb., vol. viii. p. 190. 



Lophophorus Nigelli, Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 76. 



Caspian Partridge, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 283.— lb. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 290. 



Keph-e-derra, or Royal Partridge of Persia. 



Valuable and interesting as are the Gallinaceous birds of India, both as objects of beauty and as supplying 

 the human race with a great store of nutritious food, there is a group, the Tetraogalli or Snow Partridges, 

 which, if I mistake not, is destined to play as important a part in the latter respect as any of the Gallinaceae 

 previously known. The great plateau of Asia, particularly the country of Tibet, is yearly becoming more 

 and more accessible, and surely the time is not far distant when the introduction of some of the species 

 into the British Islands will be attended with success. I cannot conceive localities better adapted to the 

 habits of any one of them than the Highlands of Scotland and the hilly districts of Northumberland, 

 and other northern counties of England ; as an evidence that they will exist in far more unfavourable situa- 

 tions, I may mention that two individuals lived for several years in the Menagerie of the Zoological Society 

 of London in the Regent's Park. Those who visited these Gardens during the years 1852 and 1853 cannot 

 have failed to notice the fine bird from which the figure in the accompanying Plate was drawn. This noble 

 specimen, the Keph-e-derra, or Royal Partridge of Persia, was presented to the Society by R. Stevens, Esq., 

 H.B.M. Consul at Tabreez : on its arrival at the Gardens it was in a bad state, both of health and plumage, 

 but it speedily recovered, and after the succeeding moult we had an opportunity of seeing the bird in as tine 

 a state of plumage as if we were viewing it in its native wilds. A female had been previously presented 

 to the Society (in 1842) by E. W. Bonham, Esq. ; this also was from Persia. I regret to say both these 

 interesting birds are dead ; and I need scarcely add how highly a further donation of living examples from 

 any one favourably situated for procuring them would be esteemed by the Society, or how important in an 

 economic point of view would be the introduction of a sufficient number to ensure their naturalization. 



There is but little doubt that the present bird is the oldest known species of the genus, for although 

 Linnaeus appears to have been unacquainted with it, it was described as long back as 1788-93 by Gmelin in 

 the 13th edition of the " Systema Naturae," under the name of Tetrao Caspius. By Latham, who states it 

 inhabits Astrabad, Ghilan and other parts of Persia, it was placed among the true Partridges, genus Perdix ; 

 by Pallas it was associated with the Grouse under the name of Tetrao Caucasicus ; Messrs. Jardine and 

 Selby placed it in the genus Lophophorus, and lastly Mr. J. E. Gray instituted for it the separate generic 

 title of Tetraogallus. Messrs. Jardine and Selby state, that for their knowledge of the species they were 

 indebted to James Wilson, Esq., so well known for his "Illustrations of Zoology," to whom it had been 

 transmitted from Persia by Dr. Macneil, the enlightened physician to the English Embassy at that Court, 

 after whom it was named Nigelli, and who informed Mr. Wilson that " it inhabits the more secluded and 

 mountainous parts of Persia, where it is esteemed rare even by experienced sportsmen, and is known by the 

 name of Keph-i-derree, or Mountain Partridge" 



I am indebted to J. H. Gurney, Esq. for having called my attention to the following passage in 



Mr. Layard's "Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon," which doubtless refers to this species: 



" A covey of large birds sailed with a rapid swoop, and with the whistling sound peculiar to the Partridge 

 kind, from an opposite height, and alighted within a few yards of me. They were the Kabk-i-dered, or the 

 Our-kak-lik, as they are called by the Turks ; a gigantic Partridge, almost the size of a small Turkey, only 

 found in the highest regions of Armenia and Kurdistan." 



The following note has been forwarded to me by Mr. G. R. Gray, which he states is an extract from one 

 of the St. Petersburg Transactions : — 



" This species builds on the highest summits of the rocky mountains of the Caucasus; it prefers altoge- 

 ther the regions of snow, which it never quits ; thus, when we desire to acclimatize the young chickens of 

 this partridge in the plains of Kahetia, they have not survived the spring. It runs on the rocks and the 

 ledges of precipices with great agility, and rises with a great cry at the least danger, so that the most 



