Birds. 5749 



game in the East, is insipid, in consequence of the heat rendering 

 it impossible to keep it more than a few hours. Temminck, in 

 describing the Ganga remarks: — "lis parcourent d'un vol soutenu 

 les vastes solitudes." Unlike the grouse ! Again, " Yit et niche 

 a terre parmi les pierres" — "pond quatre on cinq oeufs." Unlike the 

 grouse ! 



Redlegged Partridge (Telrao rnfus, Lin.). The only species found 

 in the southern parts of the peninsula of India, where it perches on 

 trees, from which elevated post its shrill note or call at early dawn may 

 be heard far and wide, and if cautiously approached may be seen 

 among the branches. They are seldom to be met with in coveys, but 

 are generally found singly or in pairs scattered about in the patches of 

 stunted jungle, from which they are sprung with difficulty, for they 

 seldom take wing, trusting instinctively to their legs for safety, and 

 their course is rapid. To show their preference for this mode of pro- 

 gression, I will relate an incident that I witnessed when detached at 

 Ramnad, near Cape Comorin : between that place and the coast 

 there are extensive sandy plains dotted here and there with patches of 

 prickly pear (Aloes) as well as with stunted date and other jungle. 

 Two shikarries, or native hunters, brought me some partridges which 

 they had just captured ; having nothing else to do, or rather no better 

 sport, I made them let out the birds one by one to be shot at, for my 

 missing some was fortunate, as it not only enabled me to get more 

 shots, but to witness the great dexterity exhibited by these native 

 sportsmen in recapturing the game, which they did in the following 

 surprising manner : — So soon as I had discharged my gun, and they 

 perceived that the partridge had escaped they commenced running at 

 full speed, following in the direction it had taken, keeping the bird in 

 view until it had either alighted or got into cover; on reaching the 

 point where it was lost sight of, they examined the ground with great 

 care, and were not long in discovering in the fine sand the foot-marks 

 of the unfortunate fugitive, soon to be recaptured and exposed to new 

 dangers. Their manner of proceeding was thus : — When they had 

 succeeded in tracing the bird to a bush one man extended his net 

 before it, and the other, running quickly round to the opposite side, 

 commenced beating it, — the poor, scared partridge of course flying 

 into the net, thus falling an easy prey to these skilled and most 

 indefatigable fowlers. 



Coromandel Quail {Tetrao coturnix, Lin.). An author who has 

 written a good deal, and edited still more, about birds, informs us that 

 the Indian quail is found to frequent the cultivated districts and corn- 



