THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE, 



883 



grey streaked black ; upper -mantle chestnut, feathers tipped olive- 

 brown ; rest of upper-parts brown, feathers tipped olive ; a black 

 line through lores, very narrow over and under eyes and extending 

 behind eyes in a prominent circular line round cheeks and sides of 

 throat and widening at base of throat ; at apex of chin and on bases 

 of lower mandible spots of black, otherwise whole chin and throat 

 enclosed by black line dull white ; ear-coverts yellowish-buff with 

 some white and blackish median streaks ; sides of neck adjoining 

 black gorget grey washed brown and sides of feathers streaked 

 black, upper-breast same but with wider black streaks or blotches 

 and narrow whitish streaks and tips ; sides of upper-breast chestnut- 



The Red-legged Partridge (A lectoris r. rufa). Head of adult and flank-feather. 



brown, rest of breast blue -grey but upper feathers more or less 

 edged and washed brown ; feathers of sides and flanks with blue- 

 grey centres edged rufous -buff and divided from broad dark 

 chestnut tips by a narrow bar of pale buff and a penultimate one of 

 black ; rest of under -parts including tibial feathers and under tail- 

 coverts uniform dark orange -buff ; axillaries and under wing- 

 co verts pale orange -buff more or less tinged and mottled brown ; 

 tail-feathers chestnut, central pair as upper tail-coverts but basal 

 part finely vermiculated blackish, next pair often with some black 

 vermiculations basally ; primaries black-brown, shafts yellow-buff, 

 basal part of outer webs olive-brown minutely spotted black, distal 

 part of outer webs (except of 1st primary) with a yellow-buff line ; 

 outer secondaries like primaries, inner ones without yellow-buff line 

 on outer webs ; primary-coverts black-brown, outer webs edged 

 olive-brown minutely spotted black ; rest of wing-coverts and 

 innermost secondaries olive-brown but greater minutely spotted 

 black on outer webs. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 Sept. to Nov.* 



* A rufous-breasted variety with black chin and throat and a variety with 

 rufous and buff upper-parts and black crown have occurred on a few occasions ; 

 others with varying amount of white on under-parts are less rare. 



