tit
Galloperdix spadiceus, Gmelin.
Vernacular Names.—[Chota Jungli Murghi (Muhammadans) Central Ptovinea,
Belgaum, &c.; Chakatri, Chakotre, Kokatri (Mahratti) Sahyddri Ranee;
Kustoor (Mahratti) Deeean ; Sarava koli, (Tamil) ; Yerra-kodi, Jitta-kodi,
(Telugu) ; Ispur-koli, (anglicised Shikaris of) Nilglris.]
AM wholly unable at present to define with any degree
of accuracy the respective ranges of this and the
Painted Spur-Fowl.
In the first place, we have an apparently isolated
colony residing in the Tarai of the central section
of the Himalayas, extending from the Gorakhpur
Tarai, where I have myself shot it in former years,
to, at any rate, the borders of the Kheyri or Lakhimpur and
Shahjahanpur districts.*
This colony does not extend southwards to any distance
from the Tarai I believe ; nor does it, I conclude, get further
east than Gorakhpur, since Mr. Hodgson, who obtained
all the birds of the Tarai south of Khatamandoo (i.e., north of
the Chumparun and Tirhoot districts,) never obtained it;
neither have I heard of it as far west as Pilibhft.
Setting aside this isolated colony, this species occurs nowhere
else, I believe, north of a line running across India,
which may be roughly indicated as commencing in the
Arvalis north-east of Abu, not far from Beaur, and running thence
by Saugor and the Vindhyas near Jubbulpore along the Kymore
range to the Rajmehal Hills.
Even south of this line the distribution is most irregular,
and there are large tracts perfectly suitable in their character
(such as the Vindhyas cast of Chota Oodcypore and west of
Saugor) in regard to which I have no record of its occurrence.
Kharakpur and the Rajmehal Hills I give on Jcrdon's
authority. Baldwin shot it on the Katra Pass, south of Mirzapur,
and Thomson says : " First observed on the Kymore range
So miles south of Mirzapur ; found in the valley of the Sone
River ; common on the Vindhyas near Jubbulpore and Mandla;
abundant in suitable localities on the Maikal or Amarkantak
* Mr. Vernon lias just sent me two specimens shot at Loharna on the Kathney
River, 25 miles W.-N.-W. of Lakhimpur,