Caccabis chukor, J. E. Gray. 



Vernacular Names.— [Chukor, passim; Kau-kau, Kashmir; Keklik (Toorki), 

 Ydrkand ; Kabk, Persia ; ] 



LTHOUGH I have myself at different times pro- 

 posed, doubtingly, separate names for two or three 

 of the races into which the Chukor locally runs, 

 and although in the plate we have figured two of 

 these forms, commonly met with in our limits, I 

 am now clearly of opinion, after comparing speci- 

 mens from China to Cyprus and from the Tian 

 Shan to Aden, that all these races should be accepted as 

 one species. 



From the Chukor, which, though straggling into Eastern Europe, 

 may be well called the Asiatic species, I separate the European 

 species — the so-called Greek Partridge (C. saxatilis). The 

 birds are extremely alike, but differ, as a ride, in the Greek 

 Partridge having the entire throat space enclosed by the black 

 bands pure white, while in the Chukor this is pale rufous, 

 buff or buffy white ; and they differ invariably — and this is the 

 true diagnosis — * in the black frontal band in saxatilis running 

 down to the gape, and thus covering the entire anterior por- 

 tion of the lores immediately behind and below the nostril 

 scale, while in the Chukor there is no such extension down- 

 wards of the black, and the pale colour of the throat and 

 cheeks runs on unbroken over the entire lores right up to the 

 nostril scale. 



Accepting all our Chukors so characterized as one species, 

 then this may be said to range within our limits throughout 

 the Himalayas, from the eastern portions of Nepal to 

 Afghanistan, and thence southwards throughout the Suleman 

 Range, and the hills generally (often quite to their bases) 

 dividing Afghanistan, Khelat and Beluchistan from British 

 India, right down to the sea. It also occurs plentifully in 

 the western portions of the Salt Range in the Punjab, and 

 more sparingly in the central and eastern portions. 



* First pointed out, I believe, by Degland and Gerbe. 



