22 THE PAINTED PARTRIDGE OR SOUTHERN FRANCOLIN. 



to these, as they sit inside the trees and do not call, (while the 

 cocks sit in some conspicuous place and are very noisy, especially 

 during the breeding- season,) I have on several occasions shot 

 females also in and out of trees and bushes. I know that this 

 has been questioned, and perhaps in some places they are more, 

 and in others less, arboreal ; but I have myself seen them in 

 trees too often to doubt that in some localities, at any rate, they 

 greatly affect these. Many others notice the same fact. Writing 

 from the Central Provinces, Mr. R. Thompson remarks : — 



i( The cock, at any rate, is eminently arboreal, frequently 

 selecting a branch forty feet high as a perch from which to call. 

 It is quite the exception to find this bird at the breeding season, 

 and whilst calling, elsewhere than perched on the topmost 

 branch of some tree. Many, I know, have an idea that the 

 Painted Partridge seldom perches, but this is an entire mistake, 

 as might be demonstrated any morning here in the home of 

 these birds." 



Mr. A. G. Theobald says : — " This species calls extremely late 

 in the evening and early in the morning. I have invariably 

 flushed them from low bushes and trees, to which they always 

 resort at nightfall. The call sounds very much like the words 

 " Shaikh jutteed kunkur? 



Of course they may often be seen and heard calling from 

 rocky points, ant-hills or other earthy eminences ; it is not sup- 

 posed that they resort exclusively to the tops of trees and 

 bushes ; I only think that, as a rule, they prefer these as (to use 

 the native phrase " mimbar") pulpits. 



Mr. Laird writes : — 



" In Belgaum you are almost certain to find this species in 

 any fields well studded with trees. It is perhaps most abundant 

 in the black sugarcane soil, which is generally well sprinkled 

 over with kekar (Babul) trees. Broadly speaking, it does not 

 occur west of Belgaum, the ground not being suitable. 



" It is very fond of perching on trees in the morning and 

 evening, when it may be seen high up on these uttering its 

 peculiar cry. 



" The best season for shooting these birds here is at the com- 

 mencement of June, just before the rains, when the young 

 sugarcane, which they greatly affect, is about two or three feet in 

 height The bag is generally a mixed one of Quail, Grey and 

 Painted Partridges, with perhaps a Likh or two. Seven or eight 

 brace of Painted Partridges, with fifteen brace of Quail, &c, would 

 be here reckoned a good bag for one gun at that time of year." 



Mr. J. Davidson remarks : — 



" This Partridge is fairly common in Sholapur and in Satara, 

 but is very local in both districts, the birds being only found, as 

 a rule, in villages containing grass reserves or sugarcane planta- 

 tions. There are exceptions to this rule, however. I remember 

 one village in Sholapur, in particular, which contained no single 



