G. H. Gurney—The Breeding of the Chinese Bamboo Partridge 207


All these beautiful Geese and Sheld-ducks ought to be much more

widely kept and bred in confinement, as they are most interesting and

attractive, and many are already becoming scarce at liberty and may

soon become extinct.



THE BREEDING OF THE CHINESE BAMBOO

PARTRIDGE


By G. H. Gurney


The Chinese or Russet-tailed Bamboo Partridge (Bambusicola

ihoracica) is closely allied to Fytch’s Bamboo Partridge (B. fytchii),

but while the latter is found in the north-eastern parts of India the

Russet-tailed Partridge is confined to southern China. A pair of these

very showy and attractive birds came into my possession in June, 1931,

but made no attempt at breeding last summer, though they very soon

settled down and made themselves at home in a good-sized enclosure

where there was plenty of cover and long grass and, contrary to so

many species of Partridge and Francolin in confinement which are

often so terribly shy and wild, my birds from the first were always

delightfully tame and confiding, seldom hiding themselves but generally

scratching amongst the turf in the flight of the aviary, which is kept

mown. From the following description of its plumage it will be seen

that this species is a particularly showy bird for a Partridge : the

colours are well contrasted, and the male when freshly moulted is quite

a smart fellow. Top of the head a rich umber brown, with a few

rufous spots ; the forehead and lores a beautiful blue grey ; back

of the neck brownish grey, shading into pale olive brown on the rest

of the upper parts ; the wing-coverts finely spotted with large chestnut

blotches, margined with black and buff ; lower back, rump, and upper

tail-coverts dusky; tail, chestnut; chin and throat, bright chestnut ;

breast grey, marked with black and chestnut; rest of the underparts,

pale buff. The sexes are almost identical, the plumage of the male

being rather brighter, and he is a slightly larger bird than the hen.

They appear to be perfectly hardy and able to withstand any amount

of cold. On 26th May this year the female was missing, and from the



