45 
the Indian ghauts ( galla-pcrdix lunulosa), which is very handsome, 
and of fine flavour. There is also its congener, the kokutree (gallo- 
perdix spadiceits). But by far the noblest of all the partridge kind 
is the Koxvk-durra, or snow-partridge of the Himalayas (tetrao-gallus 
Himalayensis), which is jive times the size of the common English 
bird, and of most exquisite flavour. Imagine a partridge as big as 
a turkey-hen ! The kowk-durra is of a uniform sober grey colour, 
the feathers edged with reddish brown. It is not often met with 
by the Indian sportsman, being an inhabitant of the mountainous 
slopes of northern Cashmere, the Kohistan, and the lugher levels 
of the Himalaya. It is, however, to be found in the valley of 
Koonawur, just behind our hill-sanatarium of Simla, where it might 
be procured with some little trouble. Mr. Vigne, the traveller, 
carried some of these noble partridges to England, and speaks of 
them as tolerably well able to endure the hardships of a sea voyage. 
Another of these giant partridges is tetrao-gallus Caspius, called by 
the Persians Icef-i-derra or the royal partridge, which inhabits the 
mountainous region lying south of the Caspian, and eastward to 
Affghanistan. Of quails, there are several varieties in India, but it 
seems to me that there are none better than those of our own country. 
Some of the Indian varieties might be found, however, on trial, to 
have qualities which would make them a desirable importation for 
this colony. Of the rarer birds, which partake of the partridge and 
quail character, the Thibetan sand-grouse ( syrrhaptes Tibetanm) 
might be introduced; as well as the see-see, or sand-partridge of 
Nepal and Persia (ttmmo-perdix Bonhami ), which is said to be most 
excellent game. Of the fraucolins, there is the beautiful Ilraginus 
cruentus, or blood-coloured francolin, of the Nepal hills. There is 
also the Affghan bustard ( otis Macqueeni) as well as otis houbara, 
both of which are declared to be exceedingly good for the table. 
These birds might probably be procurable rid Ivurrachee and 
Bombay. The so-called rock-pigeon of India, which is rather a 
kind of partridge (/‘(erodes exustus and Ft, fasciatus) is very com¬ 
mon in all the dry, sandy districts of the interior. They afford 
good sport, and are excellent eating, and ought to be admirably well 
adapted for the warmer parts of this colony. Coming to the 
pheasant tribe, we find in the mountains of India some of the most 
beautiful of all the members of this beautiful and interesting family. 
If there is one bird more than another, indeed, which demands the 
immediate attention of the Acclimatisation Society, and which is 
worthy of all the expense and trouble we can bestow on it, it is the 
Himalayan pheasant, in all its many varieties. There is the Khaleej 
pheasant which has been lately introduced with success into Eng¬ 
land ; the pucras, which is one of the most common about Almorah 
and the valley of the Doon ; the brown Nepal pheasant, the Sylhet 
pheasant, three feet long, of a glossy velvet black colour—the 
Muthoora, or Chittagong pheasant, also of very large size. Of 
another genus are the cheer (lojihophorus Wallichii) ; the jewari, or 
