88 THE BROWN-BREASTED HILL PARTRIDGE. 



I could only now and then catch a glimpse of the little fellows 

 scuttling through the bushes. Of course they are entirely a 

 forest bird, though they may be seen just at the outskirts 

 of this." 



Colonel Tickell, the original discoverer of the species, tells us 

 that "they are not to be seen in the middle of the da}*, 

 as they then retire to the depths of the valleys, where, from 

 the heat and stagnation of the air, it is impossible to follow 

 them. But early of a morning, and until the heavy dews of 

 those regions are fairly dried off the underwood, they come 

 out pretty freely into opener spots, running along the single 

 narrow footpath which skirts the crests of those steep hills, 

 and scratching amongst the fallen leaves and elephant's 

 droppings for the insects which congregate in such spots. 

 When approached they seldom take wing, but run nimbly off, 

 stopping occasionally under the bushes and calling to each 

 other in a low piping tone. If the spot be too open, however, 

 they flush and fly rapidly off to the next covert on the same 

 side of the hill, whence, it is needless to say, they cannot be 

 flushed again, even if their retreat be accessible. When they 

 have gained the shelter of a bush it is almost impossible to 

 make them leave it, and I have sometimes watched them 

 squatted thus within a yard or two of the muzzle of my gun. 

 At such times, or when creeping stealthily about under covert, 

 they occasionally emit a low ' pur-r-r-r,' not unlike the call 

 of the Button Quail. I found A. brunneopectus usually in 

 pairs (time, February)." 



Davison says : — 



" I have only met with this species on two occasions, and 

 then in pairs, in very dense jungle at the bottom of dark 

 ravines. I did not hear their note, and can say nothing 

 of their habits, except that they did not seem to be shy, as I 

 had got within a few yards of them before I saw them move, 

 and then they ran up the path but did not rise." 



Mr. Oates remarks : — 



"This bird and the next (A. cJdoropiis) are equally com- 

 mon in densely-wooded ravines and nallas of the evergreen 

 forests on the eastern slopes of the Pegu Hills. I have 

 never met with the two in the same valley, each species 

 appearing to occupy one stream to the exclusion of the 

 other ; they may occasionally straggle to the western slopes, 

 but this must be the case rarely, as I never came across 

 them ; in fact, the jungle is not adapted to them, being spare 

 and dry. Westward of these hills, the range of this and the 

 next species (chloropus) does not, I think, extend. Their food 

 appears to consist of hard seeds, but in one instance I found 

 a beetle in the stomach of one of them, They breed, I judge, 

 in May. I never heard a call in the forest which I could 

 identify as proceeding from this bird or the next. I believe 



