
Ammoperdix bonhami, (?. i?. Cray.
Vernacular Nam63--[Seesee or Sisl, Punjab, Sim!; Tihu, Persia. ]
-tTWy THINK that the Chcnab indicates about the eastern
SpiiifB? limits oftheSeesce. Westwards of this, I know that
~">lf» 's f°und m t n e Khariar or Palli Hills, which are
east of the Jhelum and just north of Chillianwalla.
IhbX£|> Whether northward it extends to the Bimbur Hills, I
have failed to ascertain. West of the Jhelum, it is
' r ° * found throughout the Salt Range and the tract of
country north of these known as Potvvar, in all the low hills
of the far North-West about Attock, Shabkadar, Marddn, and
close to the western bank of the Indus, a little below Turbela.
Eastward of this, it is found in the Hazara district, where it is not
plentiful, and where it is chiefly confined to the dry tract south of
Tanawal and the Gundgarh Range. I have neither seen nor
heard of its occurrence anywhere eastwards of this along the
bases of the Himalayas. Southwards from Attock, it is found
throughout the Trans-Indus Hills of the Punjab and Sind,
and the many rocky ranges that, under various names, run down
from the Khaibar Pass to the Hab River and divide these two provinces
from Afghanistan and Beluchistan. I am not aware at
present of its occurring anywhere east of the Indus south of the
Shahpur District, but it is quite possible that it does
Gould talks of a specimen having been brought from Tibet,
but this is clearly a mistake.
Outsidcourlimits.it abounds in suitable localities in Afghanistan,
Khclat, Beluchistan and Persia, from sea level to an
elevation of 6,000 or 7,000 feet. How far, if at all, it extends
north of Afghanistan and Persia, is unknown. Sevcrtsov at
one time stated on hearsay that it occurred in Western Turkestan,
but later expressed his disbelief of the fact.
Possibly it may occur in Eastern Arabia, for I retain a vague
impression of having been told at Muscat of its occurrence there.
T h i s p r e t t y little species is very common and tame in
the Salt Range ; a couple of dozen may be seen in a morning's