94 
ST. HELENA. 
pairs, inhabiting both the tall firs and other trees on the highest 
land, as well as the rocky plains lower down. 
Order Galling. 
Fean. Phasianidce. 
? Caeca bis, Kaup. 
? C. chukar, J. E. Gray. — Partridge. Hah. Northern India. 
The existence of this partridge in St. Helena is mentioned in 
Cavendish’s “ Travels” as early as the year 1588, where it is 
stated : — “ There are also upon this Island a great store of par- 
tridges, which are very tame, not making any great haste to fly 
away, though one come very near them, hut only run away and get 
up into the cliffs. They differ very much from our partridges which 
are in England, both in bigness and also in colour.” Like the 
pheasant, this bird is protected by game-laws, and only allowed to 
be shot during three months of the year. It abounds on the rocky 
outskirts of the Island, and only comes inland to feed in the corn- 
fields. Partridge-shooting in St. Helena is very fatiguing work, 
the ground to be gone over being very rough and precipitous ; and 
it is quite necessary to have two parties, one at the bottom of the 
valley and one at the top of the enclosing hills, in order to be sure 
of any sport at all. The birds being also very wild, and the coast 
very rugged, it is exceedingly difficult to get at them. They gene- 
rally make their nests in the ledges of rock and in the samphire- 
bushes ( Salsola salsa ) on the open barren plains. Cats are their 
great enemies, and destroy both eggs and young. Although there 
appears to be no record to show whence the partridge was intro- 
duced to St. Helena, it is most probably the chukar-partridge of 
Northern India ; and as it differs somewhat in plumage, possibly 
change of climate or food may have produced the variation. A 
closer examination of the bird, however, is desirable. 
Phasianus, Linn. 
P. torquatus, Gm. — Eing-necked Pheasant. Hah. China. Caven- 
dish mentions pheasants being found in St. Helena as early as 
1588, in the following words: — “There are likewise no less plenty 
of pheasants in the Island, which are also very big and fat.” They 
still exist abundantly, inhabiting the interior of the Island, and 
