orthward journey. By walking through the terraced fields
at those times with a gun, considerable bags of quail can be secured.
These birds migrate at night. Writing of them, Hume said: "One
moonlight night about the third week in April, standing at the top
of Benog, a few miles from Mussoorie, a dense cloud many hundred yards
in length and fifty yards, I suppose, in breadth of small birds swept
over me with the sound of a rushing wind. They were not, I believe,
twenty yards above the level of my head, and their quite unmistakable
call was uttered by several of those nearest me as they passed."

We must now consider the partridges that patronise the hills. The
species most commonly met with in the Himalayas is the chakor
(_Caccabis chucar_). In appearance this is very like the French or
red-legged partridge, to which it is related. Its prevailing hue is
pale reddish brown, the particular shade varying greatly with the
individual. The most striking features of this partridge are a black
band that runs across the forehead to the eyes and then down the sides
of the head round the throat, forming a gorget, and a number of black
bars on each flank. The favourite haunts of the chakor are bare grassy
hillsides on which a few terraced fields exist. Chakor are noisy birds.
The note most commonly heard is the double call from which their name
is taken.

The black partridge or common francolin (_Francolinus vulgaris_) is
abundant on the lower ranges of the Himalayas. At Mussoorie its
curious call is often heard. This is so high-pitched as to be inaudible
to some people. To those who can hear it, the call sounds like
_juk-juk-tee-tee-tur_. This species has the habit of feigning a
broken wing when an enemy approaches its young ones. The cock is a
very handsome bird. The prevailing hue of his plumage is black with
white spots on the flanks and narrow white bars on the back. The
feathers of the crown and wings are buff and dark brown. A chestnut
collar runs round the neck, while each side of the head is adorned
by a white patch. The whole plumage of the hen is coloured like the
wings of the cock.

The common hill-partridge (_Arboricola torqueola_) is a great
skulker. He haunts dark densely jungled water-courses and ravines,
and so is not likely to be seen about a hill-station; we will therefore
pass him over without description.

THE CHARADRIIDAE OR PLOVER FAMILY

In conclusion mention must be made of the woodcock (_Scolopax
r