THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 65 



In Southern India this species is replaced by the grey jungle-fowl, 

 Gallus sonneratii Temminck. The ranges of the two species overlap 

 to some extent and undoubted hybrids between them have been ob- 

 tained. 



THE GREY PARTRIDGE. 

 Ortygornis Ponticeriana — Gmelin. 



The grey Partridge is somewhat similar in colour to the English 

 Partridge, as the following description, (which I quote from Dr. Jer- 

 don's work) will show : — Head above, olive brown ; rufous on the fore- 

 head, over the eyes and on the nape ; lores and face also rufous, with 

 black specks ; ear-coverts silky hair-brown ; upper plumage, including 

 the wing coverts, upper tail coverts and central tail feathers, speckled 

 brown, each feather being rich red brown with three bars of creamy 

 yellow, and paler and somewhat olive brown at the tip ; primaries pale 

 brown ; outer tail feathers rich chestnut brown, with a dusky brown 

 terminal band, pale tipped ; beneath the chin and throat are whitish 

 with small dark brown spots, forming a triangular mark ; the rest of 

 the lower plumage ochreous white or creamy, most pronounced on the 

 breast, and with numerous minute cross-b^rs of brown, somewhat 

 broader on the breast and sides of the neck, where it mingles with the 

 upper plumage ; lower tail-coverts ferruginous. Bill dusky plumbeous ; 

 irides hazel brown ; legs dull red ; length about 12^- to 13 inches ; tail 

 3-f- ; tarsus not quite 2 ; weight 11 to 12 ounces. 



The male is strongly spurred, generally only one spur on each leg, 

 occasionally two, the second at the base of the first. 



The Grey Partridge is found throughout the greater part of India. I 

 had many opportunities of observing it as I found it very common 

 round Ahmedabad. During the day or two that I stopped at Delhi, 

 too, I saw it very frequently among the ruins of old Delhi. It frequents 

 bush jungle and cultivated lands, but is not found in mountainous dis- 

 tricts or in thick forests. I am inclined to think that it is not always 

 a very clean feeder, for I have frequently seen it on the outskirts of 

 villages, and have several times noticed it scratching in village dust- 

 heaps. Its usual food, however, consists of seeds of various kinds to- 

 gether with white ants and other insects. 



This partridge affords but poor sport as it is such a persistent and 

 rapid runner that it is almost impossible to make it rise. When it is 

 flushed it rises with a loud whirr, flies strongly, and requires a con- 



