PARTRIDGE SHOOTING IN INDIA. 



C. E. ASHBURNER. 



A year or two ago Dr. W. O. Blaisdell, 

 of Macomb, 111., imported some chikor 

 partridges from Kurachee, in Sind; also 

 some black partridges. The former are, 

 I believe, now thriving in the vicinity of 

 Macomb, but the latter have from various 

 causes come to untimely ends. There is 

 nothing to prevent black partridges from 

 doing well in the States, as they are numer- 

 ous in the Southeast of Europe and in Asia 

 Minor. The francolin is to my mind the 

 most beautiful and most gamy-looking bird 

 in existence. They lie well to the dog, 

 when flushed rise straight up 25 or 30 

 feet, and then fly like bullets. I am sur- 

 prised that none of the shooting clubs or 

 owners of game preserves in America have 

 tried to introduce this bird. It would be 

 far better game than Bob White. 



The francolin could be shipped from the 

 Southeast of Europe with little risk; but 

 can not be brought through the Red 

 sea without immense mortality. This is 

 caused, I think, by the difficulty of getting 

 the birds watered several times a day, and 

 of preventing the sailors from deluging 

 them with salt water when washing decks. 

 On these occasions the drinking vessels 

 provided for the birds are filled with salt 

 water, and no one thinks of emptying and 

 refilling them with fresh water. They are 

 generally placed in charge of the ship's 

 butcher; and water is water in his opinion, 

 whether salt or fresh. Having made many 

 voyages to and from the East I speak 

 whereof I know. 



Some time ago, while on a visit at Mus- 

 soorie, I was told by a friend that he had 

 seen a large number of chikor near the 

 Jumna suspension bridge, about 10 miles 

 out of Mussoorie. 



A few days later saw me on my way 

 to Chakatra. On my arrival at Lohari, on 

 the right bank of the Jurnna, I sent for the 

 headman of the village to enquire from 

 him the most likely place to find chikor. 

 He consented to take me to a place some- 



what lower down the river, where he said 

 they were fairly plentiful. 



These headmen are slow going, and the 

 day was nearly gone before we got to our 

 ground. We sent the beaters up the hill 

 about a mile, and ordered them to beat care- 

 fully down to where we stood. The beat 

 was the face of a rocky hill, studded here 

 and there with clumps of blackberry bushes. 

 The first thing to put in an appearance was 

 a cock kalij pheasant, which I failed to bag. 

 I had scarcely reloaded when a covey of 

 chikor were flushed, and came like rockets 

 down the hill toward me. Of these I 

 bagged 3 with my 2 barrels. By that time 

 it was dusk, and I determined to wait until 

 morning. 



I camped in the vicinity, and next morn- 

 ing started out early, having sent my 

 shikari with some beaters on ahead to 

 mark the whereabouts of the chikors. The 

 birds are easily found, as they invariably 

 Degin the morning with their peculiar cry 

 "kuk-kuk-chukak." After a long walk I 

 found my men squatting and smoking on 

 the top of a hill. Then came the usual 

 wrangle as to the best way to beat the 

 ground ; each man having a different plan. 

 I ordered them to wait where they were 

 until I posted myself about half a mile 

 lower down, when they were to beat toward 

 me. 



Five minutes after I got to my station 2 

 chikor came sweeping down, and I account- 

 ed for both of them. These were shortly 

 after followed by 6 more, out of which I got 

 2. My position here, however, did not suit 

 me. I moved a few yards farther down, 

 where 5 more chikors' dived down over 

 my head, leaving 2 of their number on the 

 ground. My men then came up and, after 

 gathering my game, we had 2 more beats, 

 in which I bagged 8 chikor, two kalij and 2 

 cheer pheasants. 



The following day I made 2 more beats 

 on the hills and shot 11 chikors, 12 kalij 

 and 2 cheer pheasants. 



She. — Well, dear, after that you must 

 acknowledge that you are a fool ! 



He. — I always knew it, darling ; but until 

 I married you I managed to keep it a 

 secret. — Life. 



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