HIMALAYAN BLOOD PARTRIDGE n 



tracks revealed the patience and activity of the Partridges in levelling the stems, 

 while in a wider circle around the scene of action the dainty footprints of skylarks, 

 pipits, and finches were everywhere interlaced, showing that they had learned how to 

 secure a portion of the stray seeds which were thrown upon the white surface from the 

 efforts of the Partridges. 



When I found that this habit of the Partridges was common to the several flocks 

 which I had the opportunity of observing, I realized how it was possible for these 

 birds to remain at such high, barren altitudes when all other sources of nourishment 

 were sealed by frost and snow. I investigated the seed-cases of a half dozen lily 

 clumps four hundreds yards apart, with these interesting results — 



Nine were empty except for a scattering of seeds. 



Twenty-six held a single earwig each. 



Four held two earwigs (in three instances both insects were in the same partition). 



One held an earwig in one partition, and a ladybird beetle and a dipterous 

 larva in another partition. 



Three held similar dipterous larvae. 



One held a small spider and two small flies. 



Five held rove-beetles of two species, one of which proved to be new. 



Eight held small chrysomelid beetles. 



One held a chrysomelid and a carab beetle, a weevil and a small grey spider. 



Two held small moths. 



One held a small moth, a mosquito, and a homopterous insect. 



Thus almost fifty per cent, of the seed-cases contained one or more earwigs, and 

 some of these, as well as others of the insects, were heretofore unknown species. The 

 conditions at the time of collecting these were as follows : At this season, mid-April, 

 snow covered the ground deeply and remained unmelted for three days. The preceding 

 week had been warm and clear, and insects were abundant, and all those now found 

 in the seed-cases were alive, although too numbed to fly or to do more than move 

 their legs weakly. In no instances were more than half the seeds remaining in the 

 cases, and where the stems were thin and more pliant, almost all the seeds had been 

 thrown out during the winter. The lily clumps were large and a dozen or more stems 

 sprang from a circular mass of dead, prostrate, whitened leaves, the whole forming a 

 mat about a yard in diameter. At this season new leaves were sprouting, and before 

 covered by the snow, showed as straight, vertical, green shoots several inches in height. 



I have gone into all this detail for the purpose of throwing light upon an 

 interesting source of food supply of these and other birds during unseasonable snowy 

 weather at high, treeless altitudes. 



Unlike the pheasants which live at lower elevations, the members of this genus 

 have no definite time of feeding. One may find them at high noon searching for 

 berries and insects among the moss and coarse grass. There is not the intense 

 midday heat or the array of enemies to limit their foraging to early morning and 

 late afternoon. Blood Partridges, unlike the impeyans, scratch lustily, sending 

 the creeping vines and moss flying, in their quest for animal food. But, also unlike 

 those more brilliant birds, they do not have scratching places. One cannot track the 

 birds by their foraging signs, as is so easy a matter with the impeyans and cheer. 



