What is "snow partridge"

Snow \Snow\, n. [OE. snow, snaw, AS. sn[=a]w; akin to D. sneeuw, OS. & OHG. sn[=e]o, G. schnee, Icel. sn[ae]r, snj[=o]r, snaj[=a]r, Sw. sn["o], Dan. snee, Goth. snaiws, Lith. sn["e]gas, Russ. snieg', Ir. & Gael. sneachd, W. nyf, L. nix, nivis, Gr. acc. ni`fa, also AS. sn[=i]wan to snow, G. schneien, OHG. sn[=i]wan, Lith. snigti, L. ningit it snows, Gr. ni`fei, Zend snizh to snow; cf. Skr. snih to be wet or sticky. [root]172.]

1. Watery particles congealed into white or transparent crystals or flakes in the air, and falling to the earth, exhibiting a great variety of very beautiful and perfect forms.

   Note: Snow is often used to form compounds, most of which are of obvious meaning; as, snow-capped, snow-clad, snow-cold, snow-crowned, snow-crust, snow-fed, snow-haired, snowlike, snow-mantled, snow-nodding, snow-wrought, and the like.

2. Fig.: Something white like snow, as the white color (argent) in heraldry; something which falls in, or as in, flakes.

   The field of snow with eagle of black therein.
   --Chaucer.

   Red snow. See under Red.

   Snow bunting. (Zo["o]l.) See Snowbird, 1.

   Snow cock (Zo["o]l.), the snow pheasant.

   Snow flea (Zo["o]l.), a small black leaping poduran ( Achorutes nivicola) often found in winter on the snow in vast numbers.

   Snow flood, a flood from melted snow.

   Snow flower (Bot.), the fringe tree.

   Snow fly, or Snow insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Boreus. The male has rudimentary wings; the female is wingless. These insects sometimes appear creeping and leaping on the snow in great numbers.

   Snow gnat (Zo["o]l.), any wingless dipterous insect of the genus Chionea found running on snow in winter.

   Snow goose (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of arctic geese of the genus Chen. The common snow goose ( Chen hyperborea), common in the Western United States in winter, is white, with the tips of the wings black and legs and bill red. Called also white brant, wavey, and Texas goose. The blue, or blue-winged, snow goose ( Chen c[oe]rulescens) is varied with grayish brown and bluish gray, with the wing quills black and the head and upper part of the neck white. Called also white head, white-headed goose, and bald brant.

   Snow leopard (Zool.), the ounce.

   Snow line, lowest limit of perpetual snow. In the Alps this is at an altitude of 9,000 feet, in the Andes, at the equator, 16,000 feet.

   Snow mouse (Zo["o]l.), a European vole ( Arvicola nivalis) which inhabits the Alps and other high mountains.

   Snow pheasant (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of large, handsome gallinaceous birds of the genus Tetraogallus, native of the lofty mountains of Asia. The Himalayn snow pheasant ( T. Himalayensis) in the best-known species. Called also snow cock, and snow chukor.

   Snow partridge. (Zo["o]l.) See under Partridge.

   Snow pigeon (Zo["o]l.), a pigeon ( Columba leuconota) native of the Himalaya mountains. Its back, neck, and rump are white, the top of the head and the ear coverts are black.

   Snow plant (Bot.), a fleshy parasitic herb ( Sarcodes sanguinea) growing in the coniferous forests of California. It is all of a bright red color, and is fabled to grow from the snow, through which it sometimes shoots up.

Partridge \Par"tridge\ (p[aum]r"tr[i^]j), n. [OE. partriche, pertriche, OF. pertris, perdriz, F. perdrix, L. perdix, -icis, fr. Gr. pe`rdix.] (Zo["o]l.)

1. Any one of numerous species of small gallinaceous birds of the genus Perdix and several related genera of the family Perdicid[ae], of the Old World. The partridge is noted as a game bird.

   Full many a fat partrich had he in mew.
   --Chaucer.

   Note: The common European, or gray, partridge ( Perdix cinerea) and the red-legged partridge ( Caccabis rubra) of Southern Europe and Asia are well-known species.

2. Any one of several species of quail-like birds belonging to Colinus, and allied genera. [U.S.]

   Note: Among them are the bobwhite ( Colinus Virginianus) of the Eastern States; the plumed, or mountain, partridge ( Oreortyx pictus) of California; the Massena partridge ( Cyrtonyx Montezum[ae]); and the California partridge ( Callipepla Californica).

3. The ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus). [New Eng.] Bamboo partridge (Zo["o]l.), a spurred partridge of the genus Bambusicola. Several species are found in China and the East Indies. Night partridge (Zo["o]l.), the woodcock. [Local, U.S.] Painted partridge (Zo["o]l.), a francolin of South Africa ( Francolinus pictus). Partridge berry. (Bot.)

   1. The scarlet berry of a trailing american plant ( Mitchella repens) of the order Rubiace[ae], having roundish evergreen leaves, and white fragrant flowers sometimes tinged with purple, growing in pairs with the ovaries united, and producing the berries which remain over winter; also, the plant itself.

   2. The fruit of the creeping wintergreen ( Gaultheria procumbens); also, the plant itself. Partridge dove (Zo["o]l.) Same as Mountain witch, under Mountain. Partridge pea (Bot.), a yellow-flowered leguminous herb ( Cassia Cham[ae]crista), common in sandy fields in the Eastern United States. Partridge shell (Zo["o]l.), a large marine univalve shell ( Dolium perdix), having colors variegated like those of the partridge. Partridge wood

      1. A variegated wood, much esteemed for cabinetwork. It is obtained from tropical America, and one source of it is said to be the leguminous tree Andira inermis. Called also pheasant wood.

      2. A name sometimes given to the dark-colored and striated wood of some kind of palm, which is used for walking sticks and umbrella handles.

         Sea partridge (Zo["o]l.), an Asiatic sand partridge ( Ammoperdix Bonhami); -- so called from its note.

         Snow partridge (Zo["o]l.), a large spurred partridge ( Lerwa nivicola) which inhabits the high mountains of Asia; called also jermoonal.

         Spruce partridge. See under Spruce.

         Wood partridge, or Hill partridge (Zo["o]l.), any small Asiatic partridge of the genus Arboricola.

The snow partridge (Lerwa lerwa) is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae found widely distributed across the high-altitude Himalayan regions of India, Pakistan, Nepal and China. It is the only species within its genus. The species is found in alpine pastures and open hillside above the treeline but not in as bare rocky terrain as the Himalayan snowcock and is not as wary as that species. Males and females look similar in plumage but males have a spur on their tarsus.