pairs, inhabiting both the tall firs and other trees on the highest
land, as well as the rocky plains lower down.
O e d e e G a l l i n g .
Fam. Phasianida.
? Caccabis, Kaup.
? C. chukar, J . E. Gray.—Partridge. Hah. Northern India.
The existence of this partridge in St. Helena is mentioned in
Cavendish’s “ Travels” as early as the year 1588, where it is
sta ted :—“ There are also upon this Island a great store of partridges,
which are very tame, not making any great haste to fly
away, though one come very near them, but only run away and get
up into the cliffs. They differ very much from our partridges which
are in England, both in bigness and also in colour. Like the
pheasant, this bird is protected by game-laws, and only allowed to
be shot during three months of the year. I t abounds on the rocky
outskirts of the Island, and only comes inland to feed m the cornfields.
Partridge-shooting in St. Helena is very fatiguing work,
the ground to be gone over being very rough and precipitous; and
it is quite necessary to have two parties, one at the bottom of the
valley and one at the top of the enclosing hills, in order to be sure
of any sport at all. The birds being also very wild, and the coast
very rugged, it is exceedingly difficult to get at them. They generally
make their nests in the ledges of rock and in the samphire-
bushes 0Salsola salsa) on the open barren plains. Cats are their
great enemies, and destroy both eggs and young. Although there
appears to be no record to show whence the partridge was introduced
to St. Helena, it is most probably the chukar-partridge of
Northern In d ia ; and as it differs somewhat in plumage, possibly
change of climate or food may have produced the variation. A
closer examination of the bird, however, is desirable.
Phasianus, Linn.
P . t o r q u a t u s , Gm.—Ring-necked Pheasant. Hah. China. Cavendish
mentions pheasants being found in St. Helena as early as
1.588, in the following w o r d s ■“ There are likewise no less plenty
of pheasants in the Island, which are also very big and fat.” They
still exist abundantly, inhabiting the interior of the Island, and
quite maintain the characteristics mentioned by Cavendish. They
are protected by game-laws, which permit them to be killed, on payment
of the licence, for six weeks in the summer or autumn of each
year: and hundreds of them are generally killed during one shooting
season. They find plenty of covert, and generally make their nests
in the long tufty fields of cow-grass ‘{P asp alum scrobiculatum). There
is much fear of these beautiful birds being exterminated through
poaching, which of late years has become common.
G alius, Temm.
G. b a n k iv a , Temm.— Common Fowl. Hah. India. Reared abundantly
in the Island; and on the high lands exists in a state almost
as wild as pheasants. The Spanish, large black-and-white Malabar,
and other breeds are kept.
Pavo, Linn.
P . c r i s t a t u s , Linn.—Pea-Powl. Hah. India. None now remain
in the Island; but I include it here because it once existed in a wild
state. I t is said that pea-fowl inhabited the high lands and ridges,
under cover chiefly of the indigenous plants; but the farmers found
them so destructive to their gardens, that they took every opportunity
of killing them; consequently, about half a century ago they were
exterminated.
Meleagris, Linn.
M . g a l lo p a v o , Linn.—Turkey. Hah. Mexico. The existence of
the Turkey in St. Helena dates back as far as 1588. Cavendish
says, “ We found, moreover, in this Island, plenty of Guinea-cocks,
which we call Turkeys.”
Numida, Linn.
N . m e l e a g r i s , Linn.—Guinea Fowl. Hal. West Africa. Partly
domesticated and partly wild, having recently been much encouraged
m the Island, where it inhabits the high land.
O e d e b Gball.®.
Fam. Charadriidm.
-lEgialitis, Boie.
i i ^ ^ E — Charadrius pecmrius, Layard,
Tb ’ El SSiXS S' Afnca’Ibis, 1867, p. 251, note; Baker, Zoologi stP, - 18m68, ’ p.1 8146775; • NMewelltiosns,
Ibis, 1870, p. 104 ; Harting, Ibis, 1873, p. 260. The “ Wire Bird”