THE BLACK-THROATED HILL PARTRIDGE. 8 1 



place looked very dark and gloomy. The nests were mere 

 linings of leaves and twigs, which had been placed in slight 

 depressions, apparently hollowed out by the birds. The 

 teelahs were about 150 to 200 feet in height." 



The two nests of this species received from Mr. Cripps con- 

 tained eggs of precisely the same type; They are all broad 

 ovals, a good deal pointed towards the small end, and when 

 fresh are apparently pure white, but as incubation proceeds 

 acquire brownish or yellowish brown stains. The shell is very fine 

 and smooth, shewing very few pores, and the fresh egg appears 

 to have a fair amount of gloss. 



Six eggs vary from 1*33 to 1*43 in length, and in breadth 

 from vi to 1*13, 



We HAVE very few measurements of this species ; and, though 

 the females appear somewhat smaller than the males, it is use- 

 less (having measured only four birds) to separate the dimen- 

 sions. Length, 10 to n ; expanse, i6"0 to 187; wing, 5-0 to 

 5*9; tail from vent, 2*15 to 2*5; tarsus, 1*5 to 17; bill from 

 gape, 0*85 to 0*97; weight, 7 to n ozs. 



Bill blackish brown to black ; irides deep brown ; large 

 orbital space and gular skin, which is thinly feathered, vermi- 

 lion ; legs and feet orange red. 



The plumage of both sexes is similar. 



The PLATE is fair, but the feet should have been orange and 

 not coral red ; the bare eye-space is too small, and the brown 

 lunules on the breast are purely efforts of the artist's imagina- 

 tion ; the breasts are uniform slatey grey. In some birds the 

 black tippings to the feathers of the crown and occiput are so 

 closely set that these parts are almost black ; in others the 

 olive of the basal portions of the feathers greatly predominates. 

 Birds from Tipperah, Cachar, and Sylhet seem to be all some- 

 what paler and lighter coloured everywhere than those from 

 Sadiya. 



11 



