SO THE BLACK-THROATED HILL PARTRIDGE. 



they scratch amongst the decaying leaves that carpet the 

 ground, seeds and berries of various kinds, and on young 

 shoots. 



" Though greatly affecting dense forest, these birds are also 

 partial to bamboo jungle. 



hi When flushed, they rise with a loud whirr of the wings and 

 a rather harsh whistled cry of alarm. Occasionally a party of 

 five or six may be observed, but generally single birds only are 

 seen ; possibly owing to their dislike to showing themselves, 

 leading to ones only flushing the one particular bird one stum- 

 bles on, even though, really, a covey may be present, concealed 

 all round. 



" Their call, which is often heard, especially towards dusk, is 

 a rolling whistle, whew, whew, repeated many times, and wind- 

 ing up with a sharper and more quickly uttered whew. The 

 sound is very easily imitated, and the birds are easily enticed 

 to approach one by the imitation, and this is the way in which 

 natives usually secure them. 



" From the nature of the country they affect and their pre- 

 dilection for concealment, no sport, in the ordinary sense of 

 the word, can be obtained with this species ; it is tedious work 

 getting even a brace or two, but when after other birds, a 

 chance shot can be obtained now and then. They prefer run- 

 ning to flying, but when flushed, fly swiftly and easily. 



" This species certainly perches at times, for I have seen one 

 fly down from a small tree." 



Mr. Fasson writes: — " The Black-throated Hill Partridge is 

 rather common throughout the low hill ranges bordering the 

 Chittagong district along the Hill Tracts Frontier. It frequents 

 principally the sloping banks of hill streams amongst bamboo 

 jungle ; also the scrub jungle on the hills, and sun-grass patches. 

 It keeps always inside the jungle, is very difficult to put up, 

 running persistently in preference to rising, and only taking 

 short fights when at last forced to fly. Mr. Martin says he has 

 seen a very young brood on the 2nd May, and he therefore 

 believes that the birds breed in April." 



For my ONLY record of the nidification of this species I am 

 also indebted to Mr. Cripps. He says: "The Black- throated 

 Hill Partridge is the only one that I have seen in Sylhet, and 

 here it is a permanent resident and breeds. 



"On the 1 5 th April 1 876, 1 secured a nest of this bird in Sylhet 

 containing two perfectly fresh eggs ; the parent bird I missed 

 as it flew off the nest, but am certain of the species. Again, on 

 the 1 8th May of that year, I secured four hard-set eggs from a 

 nest, shooting the female. Both nests were placed at the foot 

 of large trees which stood on the tops of teelahs, or hillocks ; 

 a few scanty bushes grew about under the trees, but the whole 



