THE CHUKOR. 35 



Ladakh and the Karakorum Plateaux, or in utterly barren rocky- 

 ranges, like those of the Mekran and Arabian coasts, where 

 the abomination of desolation seems to reign enshrined. 



In one place it faces a noon-day temperature of 150 Farh. ; 

 in another braves a cold, about day-break, little above zero ; 

 here it thrives where the annual rainfall exceeds 100 inches, 

 and there flourishes where it is practically nil. 



But all these differences in physical environment affect 

 appreciably the size and colour of the species ; and hence the 

 numerous races which, under a variety of names (rupicola i 

 altaica, sinaica, pallescens, pubescens, arenarius, pallidas, &c), have 

 been at one time or another elevated to the rank of species. 



Broadly speaking (for any number of intermediate forms 

 occur, corresponding to intermediate sets of conditions), where 

 vegetation is plentiful and the temperature moderate, the birds 

 are dark, rich coloured and of medium size ; where the tem- 

 perature is low, and of course vegetation scant or wanting, there 

 the colours are extremely pale and size large ; while amid 

 the glowing inferno of the desert hills of Arabia, the size is 

 small and the plumage overspread with a desert hue. 



Birds of almost every shade of colour might possibly, as 

 Dresser asserts on the faith of Severtsov and Prjevalsky, be 

 found in the same tract, if that tract was sufficiently large 

 and sufficiently diversified in physical characters and climate ; 

 but it is missing the whole lesson that this species reads us, 

 to suppose, as Dresser seems to do, that these differences are 

 individual, instead of being, as they are, strictly local and the 

 result of local conditions. 



It is doubtless to its unusual capacity for modification 

 under varying conditions of elevation, temperature and cli- 

 mate, that the extraordinary range of this species is due. 



In the outer ranges of the Himalayas, grassy knolls in the 

 neighbourhood of straggling cultivation are perhaps their 

 favourite resorts ; and in such places, though they run rapidly 

 and far at first, fly swiftly, and carry off a good deal of shot 

 and lastly fly away to considerable distances, very good sport 

 may be obtained with them, if only you are accompanied by good 

 markers, and have a steady old dog to retrieve wounded birds. 



October is the best month, I think, for Chukor-shooting on 

 the lower ranges, as there the young are by that time almost 

 as strong on the wing as the old birds, and are then tenderer, 

 fatter, and better eating than at any other time. Old Chukor, 

 even cooked gipsy fashion, are at best but poor eating, dry 

 and, even though hung till gamey, still not tender ; but the 

 birds of the year killed in October, properly kept and properly 

 cooked, are really excellent. 



In October, the birds keep in coveys of from ten to fifteen, 

 or even more. A covey marked down, you go to look them 

 up. Sometimes you walk, and walk seeing nothing of them : 



