The game birds of India and Asia

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“SLNVSVHHQ NOOOVE
spurlpeyl ‘1 “1 5tAhgoZ

THE GAME BIRDS

OF

INDIA AND ASIA

BY

i ®

FRANK FINN, B.A,, F.Z.S
Late Deputy Superiniendent, Indian Museum

AUTHOR OF

“The Waterfowl of [ndia and Asia,” ‘‘ How to know the Indian
Waders,” “‘ Garden and Aviary Birds of India,”
“ Fancy Pheasants,” &c., &

CALCUTTA: THACKER, SPINK & Co

Igtt

by

, Aidit A
| 3 f 16
Cops_. 47

A164716)

CALCUTTA:
PRINTED BY THACKER, SPINK AND CO,

PREFACE.

THIs little work is mainly a reprint of a series
of articles contributed by me some years back to
the Jndian Forester, revised and brought up. to
date, and with the addition of a chapter on the
Sand-grouse. The Bustards I have already dealt
with in my work ‘How to know the Indian
Waders,” as they are most nearly allied to certain
wading birds.

The present work contains, in addition to ac-
counts of the Game-birds of our Indian Empire,
brief descriptions of the species belonging to Asia
outside Indian limits, and to the East Indian
islands which belong to Asia zoologically con-
sidered.

It is hoped that the usefulness of the work will
thereby be increased, while any perplexity to
students of the Indian and Burmese birds alone
may be avoided by observing that the descriptions
of all these exotic forms are in small print, while
their names in the table of contents are in italics.

The scientific nomenclature employed is that of
the Fauna of British India volumes for Indian and

iv PREFACE.

Burmese species; exotic ones are to be found
under the British Museum Catalogue names, and
in the case of birds described since the publication
of that work, under the names given by their des-
cribers, with references to the publication where
the descriptions appeared.

I have not, however, considered it necessary to
deal with the many so-called species of Phaszanus
(typical pheasants) or Genneus (kaleeges) des-
cribed of late years, as there is so much doubt
about the validity of these, and such sub-divisions
are not of any great interest to sportsmen, for
whom this work is primarily designed.

F, FINN.
LONDON, IQII.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE.

IntRopuction—Game-birds and _ their characteristics ;
the family Phasianide—its divisions ae 2 I

CHAPTER II.

PEA-FOWL AND JUNGLE-rowL—Their characteristics—
Common Pea-fowl—Burmese or Green Pea-fowl—Red
Jungle-fowl—Ceylon Jungle-fowl—Grey or Madras
Jungle-fowl—Green Jungle-fowl sits ie 8

CHAPTER ILI.

SHORT-TAILED PHLEASANTS—Tragopans, Monauls, etc.—
Crimson Tragopan—Black or Western ‘Tragopan—Grey-
breasted or Assam Tragopan—Grey-spoticd or Tem-
minck’s Tragopan—Buff ov Cabot’s Tragopan—Common
Monaul or Impeyan Pheasant—Bronze-backed Mon-
aul—Crestless Monaul—L’huys’s Monaul—Blood-
Pheasant—Geo a Blood-Pheasant—Chinese Blood-
Pheasant a 24

CHAPTER LV.

LonG-TAILED PHEASANTS—Argus—Bornean Argus—
Double-spotted Argus—Cresied Avgus—-Grey Pea-
cock-Pheasant—Malayan Peacock-Pheasant—Germain's
Peacock-Pheasant—Bornean Pcacock-Pheasant—Napo-
leon’s Peacock-Pheasant—Purple-tatled Pheasant—Inter-
mediate Peacock-Pheasant—Lady Amherst’s Pheasant—
Golden Pheasant—Cheer Pheasant—Mrs. Hume’s Pheas-
ant—Ellio?s Pheasant—Copper Pheasant—Mikado
Pheasant—Reeves’s Pheasant—Stonc’s Pheasant—Com-
mon Pheasant and the allied races = = 40

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER V.

OHEASANTS WITH MEDIUM TAILS—Koklass and Kaleeges—

Common Koklass—Chestnut Koklass—Meyer’s Kok-
lass—Yellow-necked Koklass—Darwin’s Koklass—
White-crested Kaleege—Nepal Kaleege—Black-
backed Kaleege—Black-breasted or Purple Kaleege—
Lineated Kaleege or Burmese Silver Pheasant—Chinese
Silver Pheasant—Crawford’s or Anderson’s Silver
Pheasant—Cuvier’s Kaleege—Oates’s Kaleege—White-
head’s Silver Pheasant—Swinhoe’s Kaleege—Fire-
backed Kaleege—Bornean Five-back—Diard’s Fire-
back—-Waitled Pheasant—Malayan Cvestless Kaleege
—Bornean Crestless Kaleege—Black Crestless Kaleege—
White Eaved-Pheasant—White-tailed Eaved-Pheasant
—Blue Eaved-Pheasant—-Harman’s Eared-Pheasant—
Brown Eared-Pheasant

CHAPTER VI.

PARTRIDGES—Characteristics of various groups—Hima-

layan Snowcock—Tibetan Snowcock—Altai Snow-
cock—Caspian Snowcockh—Caucasian Snowcockh—Dark-
throated Grouse-Pheasant—Pale-throated Grouse-Pheas-
ant—Snow-partridge—Tibetan Partridge—Prievalsky’s
Partridge—Common European Partridge—Bearded Par-
twidge—Chukor—Prjevalsky’s Chukor—Black-headed
Chukor—-Seesee—Hey’s Seesee re i

CHAPTER VII.

FRANCOLINS AND SpuRFOwL—Red Spurfowl—Painted

Spurfowl—Ceylon Spurfowl—Indian Grey Partridge—
Swamp Partridge—Black Partridge —Painted Partridgc
—FEastern or Chinese Francolin—Large-billed Francolin
—Hose’s Large-billed Francolin : si

CHAPTER VIII.

Tne Forrest ParrrrpGes—Bamboo Partridge—Chinese

Bamboo Paviridge—Formosan Bamboo Partvidge—-Hill-
Partridges--Common _Hill-Partridge—Blvth's — Hill-
Partridge—Arrakan Hill-Partridge—-White-cheeked
Hill-Partridge—Red-breasted Hill-Partridge—Brown-

PAGE.

Po
tant

TABLE OF CONTENTS. vil

_breasted Hill-Partridge—Fire-necked Hill-Partridge—
Formosan Hill-Partridge—Sonnerat’s Huill-Partridge—
Javan Hill-Pavividge—Red-billed Hill-Partridge—Trea-
cher’s Hill-Partridge--Whitehead’s _Hill-Partridge—
Horsfield’s Hill-Partridge—Sumatran Hill-Pavtridge—
Roll’s Huill-Partridge—Henry’s Hill-Partridge—Camp-
bell’s Hitll-Partridge—Green-legged _Hill-Partridge—
Chariton’s Hill-Partvidge—-Chestnut Wood-Partridge—
Red-crested Partridge—Black Wood-Partridge -. 52

CHAPTER Ix.

Quaits—Their characteristics and groups—Common
Quail—Japanese Quail—Rain-quail—Painted Quail—
Jungle Bush-quail—Rock Bush-quail—Painted Bush-
quail—Blewitt’s Bush-quail—Hume’s Bush-quail—
Inglis’s Bush-quail—Mountain-quail—The True Grouse
—Their Characteristics—Blackgame—Caucasian Black-
yame—Capercailzie—Black-billed Capercailzie—Spruce-
grouse—Hazel-grouse—Mongolian Hazel-grouse—Wil-
low-grouse—Rock-ptarmigan .. ave ay 127

CHAPTER X.

MEGApODES—The Nicobar Megapode—Cuming’s Mega-
pode—Sanghir Megapode—Bernstein’s Megapode—
Maleo—Button-quails—Their Characteristics—Blue-
legged Button-quail—Yellow-legged Button-quail
—Burmese Yellow-legged Button-quail—Nicobar Yel-
low-legged Button-quail—White-legged or Little But-
ton-quail—Philippine Button-quatl—Celebean Button-
quati— Whitehead’s Button-quail—Chestnut-breasied But-
ton-quail . ° . oe 152

CHAPTER XI.

Sanp-GRousE—Their Characteristics—Common Pin-tailed
Sand-grouse—Spotted Pin-tailed Sand-grouse—Large
Pin-tailed Sand-grouse—Black-bellied Sand-grouse—
Coronetted Sand-grouse—Painted Sand-grouse—Close-
barred Sand-grouse—Tibetan Three-toed Sand-grouse
—Pallas’s Three-toed Sqnd-grouse es «. 162

viii TABLE OF CONTENTS.

APPENDIX T.
PAGE.

Synoptical Table of full-plumaged male Indian Game-
birds és ea ee vet 172

APPENDIX II.
Treatment of Gamé-birds in Captivity +e 178

THE GAME BIRDS

OF

INDIA AND ASIA.

CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION,

TAKEN as a whole, no family of birds is of such
general utility to mankind as the Phasianide,
belonging to the order of game-birds, the Galline
(hens) or Rasores (scratchers) of scientists. No
less than four species—the fowl, guinea-fowl, turkey
and peacock—are domesticated in the full sense
of the word, while several species of pheasants are
reared artificially for sport or as ornamental birds.
In India these birds are of special importance ;
the country contains an unusual variety of spe-
cies and genera, and the sport they at present yield
could be much improved by better protection given
to the birds. For none need assistance in the
struggle for existence more than game-birds do;
other animals appreciate their flesh as well as man,
and their general habit of breeding on the ground
renders them peculiarly liable to fall a prey to
terrestrial vermin. Moreover, their limited powers of

A

2 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.
*

flight render it impossible for them to range far and
wide in times of famine, and hence they are liable
to perish from want, just as beasts do. On the
other . hand, their speed of foot and habit of fre-
quenting. cover secures them to a great extent
against birds of prey; and their resident and gran-
ivorous habits render it easy for man to encourage
them to any extent by means of artificial feeding.
Thus, on the whole, they are easy birds to culti-
vate, and the encouragement of a good stock should
be one of the studies of every forest officer. For
not only are the birds useful for food and as afford-
ing a healthy recreation, but they are of service in
a forest by destroying many noxious insects and
by turning over the leaves’ and surface-soil in their
search for these and other food. In addition to
insects, some will eat mice and young snakes, so
that they are good general vermin-destroyers ;
and though they devour much seed and grain,
their own utility as food secures their being kept
from increasing to such an extent as to be a pest
themselves.

_ There is another aspect from which game birds
are worthy of attention from a utilitarian point
of view. They carry, as a family, far the most
beautiful plumage of any group of birds; I speak
after examining many specimens, dead and _ alive,
of the long-celebrated Birds of Paradise. Not
only the peacocks but several of the pheasants far
excel all of these both in general brilliancy and in
the individual plumes which go to make up their
splendour ; while the tiny humming-birds and sun-
birds can never enter into competition with such
large species as are the pheasants and their kin.
Now, as humanity has always been constant to

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 85

feathers as a means of decoration, it seems to me
that the systematic cultivation of the more bril-
liant game birds as plume-producers would pay
very well; such cultivation is well known to be
profitable in the case of the ostrich, though here
it entails much trouble and expense, to say nothing
of positive danger from the powerful males.

Better than all, in my own private opinion, is the
importance of game-birds as an adjunct to scenery.
Although less imposing than the birds of flight,
the graceful form and conspicuous size and colours
of many of the larger species make them.some of
the best of ornamental birds ; indeed, the peacock
is the oldest ‘‘ fancy ’’ bird known, and is still
admired where the cultivation of domestic mon-
strosities has not corrupted public taste. And if
it has been worth while for humanity, for so many
centuries, to foster-a bird which admittedly has
many faults, for its beauty alone, we may surely
plead for an extension of protection to all our finest
species, even if they had not solid qualities to
recommend them.

Having said this much in attempted justifica-
tion of game-birds as a subject for study by the
most practically-minded, I may proceed to the
characteristics of the family, all of which may be
easily verified on the first chicken that comes to
hand.

The head is notably small for the size of the bird,
with a small beak, short and stout, with the upper
profile arched ; the nostrils are roofed over on the
inner side by a gristly scale; the mouth is wide,
running back nearly below the front of the eye
(N. B.—The beak is to be measured from this point,

4 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA,

called the gape, to the tip). The neck is long and
the body stout and heavy; the wings are short,
concave, and rounded, the pinion-quills or flight-
feathers not projecting noticeably in repose in
any species ; the legs are powerful, the shanks stout
and generally covered in front with a double row of
large scales meeting in a zig-zig seam; the toes
are four in number, three spreading ones in front,
united at the base by a short web, and a much
smaller one behind, set on at a higher level than
the rest. The tail varies very much; in the fowl
and many other species it is vertically folded in
repose, but it is often flat like any ordinary bird’s.

Internally, the birds of this family are note-
worthy for their large crop or food-receptacle in
the gullet, and powerful gizzard or grinding-
stomach; their breast-bone is also remarkable,
being so deeply cut into at each side by two great
notches that hardly any of the body of the bone
is left, and it presents, when cleaned. the appear-
ance of a narrow central portion bearing the deep
keel, and a somewhat V-shaped projection on each
side.

The Phasiantde are as uniform in their habits
as in their structure, the common fowl being a
fair type of all. They are, however. not all poly-
gamous like him, nor do they all roost on a perch
in the same way. Neither are all of them pro-
vided with spurs—a weapon, by the way, confined
to this family. But all feed on almost anything
they can get—seeds, green-food or small animal
life ; all trust to their legs before their wings, and
fly violently rather than strongly, generally with
alternate flappings and sailings; and all rigor-
ously avoid bathing, choosing instead to roll in

rf

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 5

sand or dust to rid themselves of dirt and vermin.
They are very endurant of cold, three out of the
four domestic species coming from hot climates,
and yet bearing the English winter well ; but those
which inhabit temperate regions are generally
very intolerant of heat. Our hill pheasants, for
instance, can ill bear the hot weather in the plains.
All the species usually nest on the ground and lay
several eggs.

The young of these birds, as everyone knows,
can run soon after birth; they are clothed in soft
down marked with brown and buff stripes. They
are able to fly in a few days, and in their first
feathering they most resemble the old hen, but
may be known by their pointed quills. So, if
none but cocks showing the full feathering are
shot, one is sure of plenty of hens and young cocks
to carry on the breed, and thus any number of
males may be secured for food or feathers with
no deterioration to the stock, but rather to its ad-
vantage ; for in these so often polygamous birds a
large proportion of males is a distinct disadvantage
for breeding, as one is often sufficient for several
females, and a larger number means much do-
mestic discord.

It is a great help to the beginner in ornithology
that the general or groups of species in the game-
birds are so well defined, as will be seen later on.
Some of them are, indeed, recognised by popular
names :—thus, we speak of the ‘‘ peafowl’’ and
‘‘jungle-fowl ’’ for the species of Pavo and Gallus
respectively. But under the general names of
pheasants, partridges, and quails, several very
distinct genera are classed in each case. However,
it seems best in a work intended for beginners

6 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

to maintain these popular distinctions, if only for
the sake of convenience.

To commence, then, with the most familiar birds
of all :—The jumgle-fowl are distinguished by their
combs, fleshy ridges of skin running from the base
of the beak up the forehead : these are very small
m the hens, but always discernible, and at once
mark off all our three species of jungle-fowl.

The peafowl are at once separable by their crest
and great size; the shank is five inches long or
over, none of the other members of the family
having it as much as five inches. The cock Argus
comes nearest, but he has a very different tail and
no crest.

The quails, on the contrary, are very little
creatures, the largest quail having a closed wing of
under five inches, whereas all birds with a wing
over this length may be reckoned as partridges,
it being understood that the term merely refers
to size.

The real difficulty les in separating the par-
tridges and pheasants, which make up the bulk of
the family.

Pheasants are generally large birds (never under
eighteen inches long), with the tail as long as the
wing or longer; when it is shorter, the difference
is not more than two inches, and it only reaches
this in the Tragopans and Monauls.

Partridges are almost always much smaller than
pheasants, with proportionately much shorter tails ;
two partridges, the snow-cocks, are bigger than
many pheasants, but they have the true partridge
short tail, about three inches less than the wing. |

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 7

The smallest members of this family have the
widest distribution, partridges and quails being
found almost everywhere, the latter being espe-
cially widely spread. The pheasants, except where
artificially introduced, do not occur outside of the
continent of Asia as a rule, one species only, the
common or Colchian pheasant, occurring in Europe.
The peafowl and jungle-fowl are confined to the
warm regions of South-Eastern Asia. Africa is
held by the guinea-fowls, and North and Central
America by the turkeys.

The boundaries between the different species
and genera are settled by the right of the strongest ;
at any rate, in England it has been found impos-
sible to have guinea-fowls, or golden or silver phea-
sants, wild along with common pheasants, since
the last are not able to hold their own with these
birds. When two closely-allied species of Pha-
stanide meet, they interbreed and fuse, and what
with this hybtidism, and the tendency of some
species to throw off sports, or ‘‘ aberrations,’’ as
students of butterflies would call them, the family
is a remarkably interesting one, as it undoubtedly
shows better than any other some cf the methods of
evolution still actively in progress. .

CHAPTER II.

Peafowl and Jungle-Fowl.

As these two genera are so well known and so
easily recognised, it is just as well to begin with
them, although they have no special relationship
to each other beyond belonging to the same family.
But it is always best to proceed to the unknown
from the known, and a consideration of the generic
and specific characters of these familiar birds will
prepare us for the study of the other groups of the
family.

In the case of the birds now under consideration
the characters of the genera are particularly well
marked and recognisable. To take the peafowl
first. By ‘‘ peafowl ’’ we understand birds having
the general characteristics of the Pheasant family
as described above, with the addition of certain
peculiarities of their own—large size, small-crested
heads with bare faces, long necks and legs, and, in
the males, the upper tail coverts, or feathers of the
lower part of the back, of a loose filamentous tex-
ture and of enormous length, reaching several feet
beyond the tail itself, which is of quite ordinary
structure. The males are spurred, and sometimes
the females also.

Peafowl are polygamous in their habits, several
females associating with one male, who displays
himself to them by ‘spreading out his tail,” i.e.,
erecting and spreading his upper tail-coverts with

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIa, 9

the tail braced up behind. But this gesture is com-
mon to hens and young birds also under any excite-
ment, and it is very doubtful whether the peacock
knows what he looks like, in spite of his age-long
reputation for pride. And, although peahens are
known to display marked preference for partic-
ular cocks, it has never been proved that they
choose the most beautiful. So there is a great
es to be made out even about these familiar
irds.

Peafowls are lovers of trees, on which they roost
at night, and, like many game-birds, prefer to be
near water. Their flight looks less laboured than
that of other birds of this tribe, as their large
wings flap comparatively slowly, but they cannot
sustain a lengthened flight, and may even in some
cases be run down. But they ate very strong on their
legs, and run remarkably well. They have the
reputation of affecting the vicinity of tigers, and
it would be interesting to know the reason of this.
It is imposible that the same locality suits both
‘creatures, ard that the birds, fiom their very fear
of the tiger, are led to keep near him in order to
be informed of his movements, which certainly
interest them, as they are always very wary birds.

The mote of the common peacock has always
been cast up to him as a defect, but it is really not
an unpleasant call when heard far enough off; and
it has evidently given him his name in several lan-
guages, the Greek Taos, French Paon, German
Pfau, Dutch Paauw and Hindi Mor, all distinctly
recalling the well-known note. Another point
against these birds is their destructiveness in
gardens; but against this may be set the great
virtue that the peacock is well known to destroy

10 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

small snakes, even of poisonous species. More-
over, peachicks are excellent for food, although
the old birds are too tough for anything but making
soup of. The genus Pavo is only found in South-
east Asia, and comprises two species, of which by
far the best known is our familiar Indian bird.

The Common or Indian Peacock.

Pavo cyristatus, Fauna Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 68.

NaTIVE NAMES :—Mor, Manjur, Hind.;
Taus, P. Landuri (the female), Mahratta
Manja (the male), Mania (the female),
Uriya; Mabja, Bhotanese; Mong-yung,
Lepcha; Moiv, Assamese; Dode, Garo;
Myl, Tamul; Nim, Telugu; Novwl,
Canarese ; Monara, Cingalese.

In this species of peafowl both sexes possess a
crest formed of feathers webbed only at the tips,
so that each is like a little fan with a long handle ;
moreover the bare skin of the face is white, and
the female’s plumage is altogether different from
the male’s, even allowing for the absence of the
train.

The cock’s head and neck are of a lovely rich
greenish blue; his upper back golden green with
black edgings, making the feathers look like scales ;
the train, or long tail-coverts, green changing to
copper-red, with blue-and-purple eye-like spots:
the real tailis brown, and the wings are pale dun or
creamy buff with irregular black bars, except the
pinion-quills which ate bright chestnut, and the
nearest secondary quills which are black. The under-

“ALGINVA CADNIM-HOVIE
HHL dO NAH ANV ‘LINOW NI M909 ‘TMOsVEgG NOWWOD
“parlpel "TT "yy s1atgo7

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. II

parts are black with a green gloss, except the
thighs, which are light drab.

The hen has a chestnut head and white throat.
Her general colour is drab, with the quills and tail
darker, and the lower pert of the breast buffy
white ; the neck has a strong green gloss, as has
also the tip of the crest.

Young cocks are at first like hens, but have a
certain amount of black pencilling ; their chestnut
quills will also distinguish them at once. They
are three years in coming into full colour.

Both sexes have daik eyes and daik horn-colour
bills and feet. A fine cock may measure more than
seven feet to the end of his train; the real tail: is
twenty inches in length only ; and the closed wing
about two inches less. The shank will be about
five and three-quarter inches long, and the bill
neatly two from the gape.

The hen is a little over a yard long, and has a pro-
portionately shorter true tail, this being only
thirteen inches, and the closed wing sixteen; the
shank about five only.

This is the peacock par excellence, for although
confined as a wild -bird to India and Ceylon, it
has been domesticated for many centuries, and is
known all over the civilised world.

It does not ascend the Himalayas, as a rule,
over 2,000 feet, though it may range above 5,000
on the Nilgiris; which makes 1t somewhat remark-
able that it can bear the English climate in winter
without protection.

In many places it is held sacred and found in a
semi-domesticated condition, this being the case

I2 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

in Sind, Guzerat, Cutch and Rajputana. In any
case, it is to be hoped that this magnificent bird
will be spared as much as possible by sportsmen
everywhete, since for its peculiar beauty it has no
rival, save the even more magnificent bird next
to be described.

Peafowl are not so quarrelsome as most of this
family, for several cocks wi!l show off together ; the
hens usually lay, in the rains, about half-a-dozen
‘eggs, of some shade of buff, and nearly three inches
long. The nest is of course usually on the ground,
but has been met with in elevated situations, and
it is worth knowing that the eggs are delicious
eating.

Buff varieties of this peacock have been met with
in the wild state, and in domestication it is some-
times white or pied, and at times produces a most
remarkable vaiietvy, the Japan or black-winged
peacock (Pavo nigripennis of Sclater). In this
form the cock’s wings and thighs are black, the
former being glossed with blue and green; the
pinion-quills remain chestnut. The hen of the
variety is white, grizzled and splashed above with
black, with a black tail, and with chestnut pinion-
quills like the cock. The legs in both sexes are
dirty white, not dark as in the normal form. The
variety is distinct from the egg, the chicks being
white, though the young cocks soon show dark
feathers. Were it not known définitely to ori-
ginate, in either sex, as a ‘‘sport’’? from the
ordinary tame peafowl, this variety would cer-
tainly be ranked as a good species, since as a general
rule it breeds true, and even when smaller and
weaker, has been known ultimately to swamp the

Photo Copyright. L. Medland.
BURMESE PEAFOWL, HEN,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 13

original type when al! breed indiscriminately
together in domestication.

The Green Peacock.

Pavo muticus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, Vol.
IV, p. 70.

NATIVE NAMES :—Daung, Udaung, Burmese ;
Marat, Talain; Tusia, Karen; Burong
merak, Malay.

In this species the hen, except for the absence
of the train, closely resembles the cock; the crest
in both sexes is longer than in the common peafowl,
and composed of feathers webbed all the way down,
but gradually broadening from the root upwards,
and with rounded tips; the bare face also is blue
above and yellow below; moreover, the present
bird is a little larger.

The cock’s plumage bears a general resemblance
to that of the common peacock, but differs strik-
ingly in the neck being bronze green, the feathers
having a_ scale-like appearance. Moreover, the
wings, except the chestnut pinion-quills, are black
with a blue and green gloss, and the thighs black,
as in the black-winged variety of the common bird.
The hen has the same bronze-green neck and dark
glossy wings, but her back is dark brown, coarsely
pencilled with buff, instead of green as in the cock,
and the train is replaced by feathers of a more
ordinary length and texture, though reaching to
the end of the tail; these are golden green with
irregular coarse pencilling of buff.

Young birds are like her, but show some buff
edgings to the feathers. Young cocks may be

14 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

distinguished from hens by having the little patch
of feathers between the bill and the eye glossy
green, this patch in the hen being rusty brown.

The legs and bill are blackish horn-colour, and
the hen has spurs as well as the cock.

This species extends from Chittagong to Java,
being the ordinary peafowl of Burma, but it is
local and not abundant in most places, though it
is so in some parts of Upper Burma. It has a
quite different note from the ordinary peacock,
this being-a Subdued scream in several syllables
“* ayau-kau-kau-kau-kau’’; this is not at all
annoying and would make the present bird a formid-
able rival to the other as a fancy bird were it not
more delicate, and more spiteful in the case of the
male. Little is known about its breeding. In
captivity it has crossed with the common peafowl,
the hybrid, judging from a young male in the
British Museum, exhibiting a mingling of the colours
of the parents, but in its crest following the com-
mon species exclusively.

The jungle-fowls are birds of a very different
type, and also stand much alone, although they
have an obvious affinity to the ruffed pheasants,
to be mentioned later. Their characteristic points
are the comb, large in the cocks and small in the
hens, and the vertically folded tail, the undersides
of the feathers facing each other. These char-
acteristics apply to both sexes; the cocks alone,
however, have the two central tail-feathers long
and curved, and are furnished with long and sharp
spurs, besides differing altogether from the hens
in colour. Jungle fowls, except that they carry
their tails low, much resemble tame fowls of rather

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, I5

small size, and are thus very easily -recognisable ;
the various species are very distinct from each
other, and only four in number; three of them
occur in Indian limits.

The jungle-fowls are fond of cover, and roost
on trees at night, a habit which the tame fowl has
retained. His habit of crowing at night is, how-
ever, an original invention on his part, for which
mankind used once to. thank him, but now, alas!
legaily indict as a nuisance.

Jungle-fowls are often: found in pairs, though a
cock naturally likes to have a harem if possible,
and they are very hard fighters. The cocks show
off by slanting themselves over to one side, as is
constantly seen in the tame fowl. '

The Red Jungle-Fowl.

Gallus ferrugineus, Faun. Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 75.

NATIVE NAMES :—J angal-murgh (cock), Jangli-
murghi (hen), Hindi; Ban murght, Hindi ;
Kukar, Kukra, Bankukar, Beng.; Ganja
(cock), Uriya; Pazok-toht, Tang-kling,
Lepcha ; Nag-tse-ja, Bhotanese ; Bir-sim,
Kol ; Gera gogor (cock), Kuru (hen), Gond ;
Taukyet, Burmese.; Kura, Chittagong.

In this the best known species and the ancestor
of all our tame poultry, the face is naked in both
sexes, though less in the hen than the cock, and
there is a flap of skin below the ear—the ‘“‘ ear-
lobe’? of poultry-fanciers. The wattles, fleshy

flaps of skin on each side of the throat, are usually

16 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

wanting in the hen, whose comb is also very small.
Even in the cock the comb, which is of the notched
**sinele’’ type so familiar in tame fowls, is not
so large a one as is carried by these latter.

The cock’s plumage is black below and orange
and red above, the neck and rump being covered
by long, loose-textured feathers called ‘‘ hackles ”’
by fanciers. The tail, which has long curving
upper tail-coverts hanging along each side of it, is
glossy deep green, and the wings are a fine study
in the arrangement of plumage, being deep glossy
red, dark metallic green, black, and chestnut, put
together in a diagrammatic manner most useful
to ornithological students; for the minor wing
coverts, the small feathers along the front edge of
the wing, are black, the median, red, the major,
metallic green, forming a conspicuous bar ; while
the primaries or pinion-quills are dingy black with
paler edges and the outer halves of the secondaries
or forearm-quills are cinnamon. Thus, by getting
hold of a tame cock which shows the jungle-fowl
colours, and such are not at all uncommon, one
may master several technicalities with great ease.

After breeding, the cock casts his long neck-
hackles and tail-feathers, the neck becoming clothed
with a short black feathering. It is somewhat
remarkable that no such change usually takes
place in the tame fowl, even in India.

The cock is well over two feet long, with a wing
about nine inches and shank three inches.

The hen is brown above, the colour being pro-
duced by a very fine pencilling of black and buff ;
below she is a plain reddish brown. Her neck,
which is covered with short hackles, is streaked

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 17

with black and gold, and the side feathers of the
tail are black. It is a curious fact that few tame
hens are coloured exactly like this.

The hen is about seventeen inches long, with a
wing just over seven and shank about two and a
half inches.

Young cocks, as usual, are much like the hen at
first. The comb and wattles are red, and the face
reddish flesh-colour ; the beak dark brown, eyes
red, and legs slate-colour. The ear-lobes are usu-
ally white in Indian specimens and red in those
from further east, which also tend to be redder
in plumage.

This species ranges from India, through Burma
and the Shan States, to Siam, Cochin China, the
Malay Peninsula and many eastern islands; but
its precise natural range is not quite certain, as,
being the ancestor of domestic fowls, it is apt to
give rise to feral or secondarily wild _Taces, owing
to the escape or intentional liberation of tame
poultry. It especially frequents low elevations
on hills, and likes cover near cultivation; and in
such places it often interbreeds with its tame des-
cendants.

The voice of this bird is just like that of the tame
fowl, but in the case of the cock’s crow the resem-
blance is to that of the Bantam breeds, the last
note being short. It breeds from March to June,
laying up to eleven pale buff eggs in a rough nest
on the ground. The eggs are small, scarcely ex-
ceeding two inches in length.

The red jungle-fowl, in India, is practically con-
fined to the region where the sal-tree (Shorea
yobusta) grows; so much is this the case that an

B

18 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA,

isolated wood of this tree, near Panchmarhi in
the Denura valley, is occupied by this species,
although the gray jungle-fowl (Gallus sonneratit),
presently to be noticed, holds all the territory
roundabout. The reason for this would be a very
interesting subject for inquiry, and no doubt some
forest officer will be able sooner or later to afford
a solution of the problem. The red jungle-fowl
is a very hard fighter, and no doubt sal jungle has
some special attraction which makes him keep it
to himself. In a domesticated state this species
is found, as everyone knows, all over the world
where it can be got to live, and its endurance of
cold is most remarkable considering its tropical
origin.

Many breeds have, of course, been raised from it
by the selection of variations in shape and colour,
but India seems to possess no particular breed
except the fighting Aseel and the long lanky Chit-
tagong, the ‘‘ Malay’’ of home fanciers. Both
of these are characterised by very small combs
and wattles and short glossy plumage, which in
the cocks often resembles that of the wild bird,
but in hens apparently never or very rarely. The
Aseel, however, is short and sturdy, not lengthy
in make like its relative.

With regard to the foreign breeds now being
imported, I should advise any of my readers who
is starting to keep such fowls, to avoid all the
feather-legged and five-toed varieties, such as the
Brahma, Cochin, and Dorking, such montrosities
of structure sadly handicapping a fowl’s useful-
ness. In Calcutta there can generally be obtained
excellent black China fowls, the ‘‘ Langshan’’
of the fancy at home. This is a large bird of some-

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, Ig

what the Cochin type but less clumsy, and with
very little feathering on the legs; many imported
birds, in fact, having none. This is an excellent
general utility fowl, and personally I should never
trouble to send home for stock while such birds can
be had in the country.

The Ceylon Jungle-Fowl.

Gallus lafayettii, Faun. Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV.

NATIVE NAMES :—Weli kukula (the male),
Weli kikili (the female), Cingalese; kala
kolt, Tamils of Ceylon.

The cock of this species bears a strong general
resemblance to the red jungle-cock, but is orange-
red below as well as above, the breast feathers
being glossy and pointed—very like hackles in
fact. The secondary quills of the wing are also
purple-black instead of chestnut.

The throat and most of the rump-feathers, which
are not so long and hackled as in the continental
bird, are glossy violet, and the tail has a purple
rather than a green gloss.

The comb also in this species has a yellow patch
in the middle; the face and wattles are darker
and the legs are yellow instead of slate-colour.

The hen is quite as different in her way from the
red jungle-fowl hen ; she is of much the same par-
tridge-brown hue above, but has no distinct hackle
on the neck; her wings are boldly barred with
black, and her under-parts not cinnamon’ but

20 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

mottled black, brown and white, becoming lighter
further back. Her legs are yellow like the cock’s.
She has no wattles, and is feathered on the
face.

Young cocks are redder above and darker below
than hens. The size of this species is about the
same as that of the red jungle-fowl, except that
the cock’s tail is longer; the hen’s, on the other
hand, appears to be shorter in this species.

The Ceylon jungle-fowl is confined to the island
‘* where every prospect pleases;’’ but the parts
thereof that especially gratify the tastes of the
bird are the northern jungles and the southern
hills. There seems to be a good deal of variation
in the breeding season and also in the number of
eggs laid, which is given as from two or twelve by
different authors. There is nothing noteworthy
about the appearance of these eggs.

The crow of the Ceylon cock is very different
from that of the rival chanticleer of India, being
two-syllabled and commonly rendered as a call to
one ‘‘ George Joyce.’’ A Ceylon planter, how-
ever, told me recently that the general opinion
ror was that the bird’s friend’s name was
ce fe) n.’’

The cock is a gentleman of somewhat Don Juan-
like instincts, and apt to intrude on the domestic
happiness of village roosters, without the excuse
that the red jungle-fowl can offer of community
of descent.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, ar

The Grey or Madras Jungle-Fowl.

Gallus sonnerati, Faun. Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 78.

NATIVE NAMES :—Jungli murghi, Hind. ;
Komri, Mt. Abu ; Pardah Komri, Gondhi ;
Ran-kombadi, Mahr.; Kathe kozhi or kolt,
Tamil; Adavi kode, Telugu; kolt, kad
kolt, Canarese.

This species also is much of the same size as the
red jungle-fowl, but in the cock the tail runs very
distinctly longer, and may measure as much as a
foot-and-a-half long. The tail-coverts, however,
are not long and curved as in the red jungle-fowl,
nor are there any hackles on the rump.

The general colour of the cock is dark grey, the
feathers having white shafts and grey edges, the
wing-quills and tail are purple-black, and the neck
feathers and those of the upper back and flat of
the wing are tipped with sealing wax-like spots,
orange on the wing and golden yellow on the neck.
These curious tips are formed by a coalescence of
the barbs of the feathers into a horny plate, and
are found in a few other birds not at all allied to
this family. There are rudimentary ‘spots of
the kind on the rump feathers, and a tinge of red
on the flanks.

The bill is horn-colour, comb, wattles, and face
red, the ‘‘ ear-lobe ’’ being indicated by a fold of
skin ; and the legs are usually said to be yellow,
but in fine cocks they are salmon-colour. The
cock moults his hackles after breeding, like the red
jungle-fowl.

22 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The hen, which has a very small comb and no
wattles, is of a partridge-brown above with no
distinct hackles, and white beneath with black
edges to the feathers, getting narrower further
back ; her legs are dull faint yellow, and her comb
a very dull red.

This bird, which is very striking in appearance
and much admired by everyone who notices it, is
confined to Southern and Western India, inhabit-
ing hilly jungle and ranging even to the tops of
the Nilgris and Pulneys. ‘‘It is found,” says
Blanford, ‘‘ near the eastern coasts as far north
as the Godavari, and in the Central Provinces its
limit is some distance east of Sironcha, Chanda
and Seoni. It is found throughout the Nerbudda
valley west of Jubbulpore, and in parts of Central
India and Rajputana, as far as the Aravalis and
Mount Abu, but no farther to the northward or
westward. It is met with near Baroda, but has
not been observed in Kattyawar.’’ In spite of
the local intrusion of the red jungle-fowl into the
grey’s territory, mentioned in the account of the
former species, it will be seen that on the whole
their habitats are very distinct; but of course
they meet occasionally. Jerdon says that near
the junction of the Indravati with the Godavari
he heard ‘both species crowing within a few yards of
each other, and shot one bird which was an un-
doubted hybrid—a remarkable fact, for hybrids
between such distinct species as these are rare in
nature.

The grey jungle-fowl differs very much in voice
from the red bird and its poultry-yard descend-
ant; but as authors say, the crow is very hard to
describe, sounding more like a cackle, and the bird

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 23

does not flap his wings before uttering it. Birds
T have seen in confinement had a peculiar alarm-
note when approached, sounding like ‘‘ koorchy-
Roorchy,’’ quite different from the cackle of the
common fowl.

The breeding-season of this bird varies, being
usually from March to July, but on the western
side of the Neilgherries it is from October to De-
cember. The eggs number from seven to thirteen,
and are buff-coloured: and laid as usual on the
ground with sometimes a few dry leaves below.

On account of its beautiful and distinct appear-
ance, the sport it affords—for it is a wary bird—and
the value of its feathers, this would be a good
species to acclimatise outside India wherever there
is a warm dry climate. Thus it would be excel-
lently suited for turning out at the Cape, or in
Australia or California; such extension of the
habitat of a desirable bird where it does not inter-
fere with another equally desirable, being in my
opinion really justifiable acclimatisation.

The Green Jungle-Fowl.

Gallus varius, Brit. Mus, Cat., Birds, Vol, XXII,
P. 352.

This beautiful bird is mostly black, with an orange patch on
the wing, and a ruff of round-tipped bronze-green feathers in-
stead of the usual neck hackle. He has no ear-lobe or wattles,
but an expansible dewlap rather like a turkey’s, and his comb
- is not notched. It and the dewlap are most exquisitely col-
oured with puce and pale blue, with a yellow patch on the throat ;
and the face is flesh-colour, often flushing to scarlet. The hen
has no comb or wattles, and is barred with black and brown,
- the black being much more in evidence than in the hens of other
jungle-fowl This species is found in the Malayan Islands from
Java to Flores ; the crow of the cock is a shrill shriek in three
syllables, very like the cry of the gold pheasant in tone.

CHAPTER III.

Tragopans, Monauls, Etc.

WE now come to the large and often long-tailed
game birds, commonly known as pheasants, to
which may be referred eleven genera, containing
more than a score of species between them. To
distinguish the cocks is quite easy, but the hens,
being dull-coloured, are less readily recognised,
though anyone who will observe carefully enough
will be able to refer any hen pheasant to her proper
group also, as there are always some points she
shares with her mate.

In three genera the tail is short in both sexes,
not being longer than the wing even in the cocks,
and being shorter in the hens. In this respect they
approach the partridges, but they are never less
than about eighteen inches long, which is much
bigger than any partridge except the great Ram-
chukors or snow-cocks. And in these there is a
difference of three inches between the length of
the wing and tail; whereas in these short-tailed
pheasants the wing never exceeds the tail by so
much as this.

These genera are the Tragopans, Monauls, and
Blood-Pheasants, which are easily distinguished
from any others of the family.

The Blood-Pheasant is only about eighteen inches

long, with very long, soft plumage and bright red
legs.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 25

The Monauls (two species) are large birds, two
feet long or more, with unusually large bills for
game-birds, and short legs; the bill from gape to
tip is about two-thirds the length of the shank.

The Tvagopans (three species) are also large,
about two feet long ; but their bills are remarkably
small, and their legs rather long, the bill being less
than half the length of the shank.

In five genera the tail is distinctly longer than
the wing, even in the hen, and very long indeed
in the cock, this being the typical pheasant shape
of tail, with the centre feathers much the longest.
These groups are easily made out.

The Argus has a bare head and the primary
quills’ distinctly shorter than the secondaries,
which more than cover them.

The Peacock Pheasant has a long broad tail with
rounded tips to the feathers.

The Typical Pheasants (two species) have long
tails with pointed tips to the feathers; the males
have a bare red skin round the eye.

The Cheer Pheasant has a very long-pointed tail
and a crest, with a red skin round the eye in both
sexes.

The Amherst Pheasant has a long-pointed _ tail
and a pale blue or green skin round the eye in both
‘sexes, with a ruff in the male.

There remains three genera with tails of medium
length, taking males and females together; the
tail being about as long as the wing or shorter in
the latter, and rather longer in the former, though
mever so extravagantly long as in the last group.

26 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The tail is, even in the short-tailed hens, much
graduated, with the outside pair of feathers only
half as long as the middle ones, which is not the
case in the short-tailed pheasants alluded to above,
whose tails are merely rounded. Of this section :—.

The Koklass Pheasants (two species) are dis-
tinguished by having the face feathered all over,
and most of their feathers pointed-tipped.

The Fire-back has, in both sexes, a short folded
_tail, much like a common hen’s, and a bare bright
blue face.

The Kaleeges (about hali-a-dozen species) have
crests in both sexes, and also a bare red face, with
tails long or short, folded like a fowl’s. The exact
number of species in this group is uncertain, and
the length of the tail varies in the cocks, but as a
whole they are very recognisable.

To discuss the short-tailed genera first: the
Tragopans, in addition to their large size, small
bills, and rounded shortish tails, are notable for
their long, slender toes and’ intricately mottled
plumage. The tail is carried low, and is inclined
to fold.

In the cocks the plumage is always more or less
mixed with red and speckled with light spots ;
they also have a full crest, and fleshy horns and a
dewlap, most developed in the breeding-season,
and expansible. The dewlap at most times is a
mere fold of skin along the throat, and the horns
lie concealed in the crest. But when the bird
faces the female to show off, the horns elongate
themselves and the dewlap comes down and spreads
out into a bib or apron, showing the most brilliant

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 27

colours. The cock also shows off by slanting
himself over, like a common fowl. ,

In most male birds of this genus the face is bare,
and they are provided with spurs. The coloura-
tion of this sex is very complicated and beautiful,
but it is not necessary to describe it fully, as the
different species are readily recognisable. The
hens have no fleshy appendages or crest, and are
feathered up to the eyes; they have shorter tails
than the cocks, and no spurs. Their plumage
is a very intricate pepper-and-salt mixture, a
great deal easier to recognise than to describe.

Tragopans inhabit hill forest at a high elevation,
and are great skulkers, avoiding observation as
much as possible. They spend a great deal of
their time in trees, feeding on leaves and berries
to a very large extent.

The note of the cock Tragopans is most remark-
able, being compared to a bleat or a bellow rather
than a crow, but they are silent birds, as a rule,
except in the breeding season. They are not easy
to shoot, and sometimes rather poor eating, but
for their peculiar beauty of plumage they are
unrivalled. Only five species are known, all Indian
or Chinese. Our birds are often called Argus
Pheasants, but the real Argus is a very different
bird, as will be shown later.

.28 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The Crimson Tragopan.

Tragopan satyra, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 99.

NATIVE NAMES :—Lungi, Hind. in Garhwal
and Kumaun; Monal in Nepal; Omo,
Bap, Bhutia; Tar-rhyak, Lepcha.

In this species the male’s face and throat are
thinly feathered ; the general plumage is rich red
on the neck and below, and mottled black and
brown above, sprinkled nearly all over with round
white spots edged with black; the head and tail
are black, with a red band round the back of the
former ; the bend of.the wing is also red, and there
are red patches on the mottled brown plumage of
the rest of the wing and the rump.

The bill is blackish brown, the horns sky-blue,
and the skin of the face and the throat rich deep
blue, the bib being blue, with large red lateral spots
when expanded; the eyes are dark and the legs
flesh-coloured.

The hen is of a rich brown, paler below, grizzled
and mixed with black and buff. Her beak is dark
horn-colour, and her legs fleshy grey.

Young birds are like the hen, but distinctly
streaked with buff; young cocks assume male
plumage very gradually.

The male is well over two feet long, with wing
and tail each about ten inches, and shank over
three, and twice as long as the bill. The hen is
under two feet, with the tail shorter than the wing.

This species, one of the most richly-coloured
birds in existence, inhabits the Himalayas from
Garhwal to Bhootan, ranging according to season

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 29

from six to twelve thousand feet in elevation. It
breeds in May, laying eggs much like large hen’s
eggs, white with pale dull lilac markings, and about
two and-a-half inches long.

The Black or Western Tragopan.

Tragopan melanocephalus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. ror.

NATIVE NAMES :—Jewar, Jowar, in Garhwal ;
Jaight, Jajhi, Bashahr ; Sing-monal, Hindi
in N.-W. Himalayas; Jigurana (the
cock), Budal (the hen), Kulu, Mandi and
Suket ; Falgur, Chamba.

This bird has a longer crest than the Crimson
Tragopan, and is a little larger, with a slightly shorter
tail; the face of the. cock is also bare. His pre-
vailing colour is black, grizzled with buff above,
and spotted with white both there and below.
The neck is red, brightest in front ; and the top of
the crest and bend of the wing are also red ;. there
is also a certain admixture of red below the breast.
The bill is blackish, eyes brown, legs flesh-colour-
ed, and horns blue as usual; but the bare face is.
bright red, and the dewlap purple in the middle,
and showing spots of blue and flesh-colour at the
sides.

The hen is of a grizzled brown, much greyer in
tone than that of the Crimson Tragopan hen, and
with the pale spots below—which are white, not
buff—better defined and dark-bordered. Her feet
are grey.

This bird inhabits the North-Western Hima-
layas from Garhwal to Hazara. It nowhere meets

30 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

the crimson species, their respective limits being
separated by a distance of about four days’ march.
It keeps near the snow in summer, descending
lower in winter. The eggs, six in number, of a
pale buff minutely freckled, were taken in Hazara
in May by Captain Lautour. They seem to be
slightly smaller than those of the red species.

The Grey-breasted or Assam Tragopan.

Tragopan dlythii, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 102.

NATIVE NAMES :—Hur-huria, Sansaria, Assam ;
Gnu, Angami Naga; Chingtho, Kuki.

This is smaller than the other Indian species,
and has a shorter crest and tail. The male has a
black head, with red eye-brows meeting behind,
the neck and bend of the wing red as usual,
and the underparts below the breast smoky grey ;
the upper plumage is black mottled with buff and
spotted with white and red; the tail is black. The
bare face and throat are yellow, running into green
below ; the bill and eyes dark, the horns blue, and
the feet flesh-coloured as in other male Tragopans.

The hen is of the usual hen Tragopan grizzle,
less grey in tone than the black Tragopan hen;
from the hen of the crimson species she may be
distinguished by having a greater proportion of
black above, and being mottled with dirty cream-
colour instead of buff below, the upper and under
surface being thus more strongly contrasted than
in the other. These hen Tragopans are easy enough
to distinguish on comparison, but as no two species
inhabit the same tract, this will rarely be necessary.

Copyright. L. Medland.
TEMMINCK’S TRAGOPAN, COCK.

Copyright. L, Medland
AMHERST PHEASANT, COCK.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 31

, The present species inhabits Manipur and the
Naga Hills south of Assam, ranging from five to
ten thousand feet according to season, like the
other species. It has also been known to occur
in the Dafla Hills north of Assam. It feeds chiefly
on berries and affects high oak forest. Its breed-
ing in the wild state is not known, but an egg laid
in confinement was buff finely speckled with red-
dish brown. I have seen in the London Zoo a
hybrid cock, bred between this species and the
T. temminckit mentioned below. It hardly showed
the cross at all, almost precisely resembling a pure T.
blythit, and having the same yellow and green throat,
but the grey under-parts were variegated with red.

The Grey-Spotted or Temminck’s Tragopan.

Tragopan temmincki, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 275.

This may be distinguished from the crimson
Tragopan, which it much resembles, by having
the light spots on the plumage larger, grey instead
of white, and without the black borders; the face
is also bare of feathers, the hens of the two species
are alike. This Tragopan is found in South China,
and has been obtained in our territory near
Sodon,

~

The Buff or Cabot’s Tragopan.

Tragopan cabots, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,

p- 277.
The male of the buff Tragopan is entirely plain buff below,
and is spotted with buff above on a ground of mottled red and
black ; the bare face is scarlet, with blue eyebrows. The hen

32 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

may be distinguished from that of the crimson Tragopan, which
she much resembles, by her smaller size. This species is also
Chinese. The eggs, buff, thickly speckled, with pale-brown, and
four in number, have been taken from an old squirrel’s nest
30 feet up in a tree, and in captivity this species has also
nested in an old nest in a tree.

The Monauls are very easily recognisable birds,
being of large size and stout and heavy make,
with comparatively large heads and bills, short
shanks—shorter than the middle toe, and tails of
only medium length, flat and nearly square like
a pigeon’s. There is a bare blue space round the
eye in both sexes, but in plumage they differ
absolutely, and the cocks only possess spurs, which
are not very long. Four species are known, of
which two are Indian.

The Common Monaul or Impeyan Pheasant.

Lophophorus refulgens, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 96.

NATIVE NAMES :—Lont (male), Hani (female),
Nil-mor, ‘yung-limor, Kashmir; Nilgur,
Chamba; Munal, Nil (male), Kavari
(female), Kulu; Mundl, Ghar-Mundl, Ratia
Kawan, Rabnal, Ratkap, N.-W. Hima-
layas; Datvya, Kumaun and Garhwal;
Dafia, Nepalese; Fo-dong, Lepcha ; Cham-
dong, Bhutias of Sikkim.

The male Monaul has a fine crest of feathers
with shafts bare nearly to the tip, where there is
a lance-head-shaped webbed portion; it is more
or less erect. This crest and the head generally
and a streak along each side of the breast are of
an intensely brilliant burnished-green; the back

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 33

of the neck is burnished copper-red, changing to
golden-green in some lights; the upper part of the
back is bronze-green, the lower silver-white. This
latter colour is usually concealed by the wings,
which are metallic purple with metallic blue
tips to the feathers. The under-surface of the
body is velvety black, and the tail cinnamon.

The hen has a short crest of ordinary feathers ; she
is of a mottled-brown, the light marking tending to
run in streaks. Her throat is pure white, and her
general appearance is much like that of a hug
partridge. ;

The young birds resemble her; the young male,
however, has a buff patch on the back where the
white one is found in the adult : he does not attain
his full plumage till the second year, and even then,
curiously enough, the seventh pinion-quill remains
brown for a year more.

The beak of the Monaul is horn-colour and the
legs olive-green—what is called ‘‘ willow’’ by
poultry fanciers. The bright blue face noted above
is most characteristic of these birds. The cock is
about twenty-eight inches long, with the wing nearly
a foot and the tail nine and a haJf, the shank three
inches in Jength and the bill two. The hen is a
little over two feet long.

The common Monaul is found throughout the
Himalayas, and even extends west to Afghanistan
and Chitral. It varies its vertical range according
to the time of year and the part of the hills inhab-
ited, going higher in the Eastern Himalayas
than the Western, and of course much higher in
summer than in winter. It is not likely to be

Cc

34 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

found, however, above 15,000 or below 4,500 feet
at any time. .

It is usually a forest bird, although in summer
it may be found out on the grassy slopes above
the level of trees. Only a few are seen in com-
pany, males being more solitary than females.
The food is especially composed of grubs and roots,
the Monaul being much addicted to digging, an
operation it performs with its beak, for it does not
scratch like most birds of this family. The com-
paratively large bill, however, forms a most effec-
tive hoe, and the bird is probably of great use in
the forest in turning over the surface and destroy-
ing insect pests. .

It is likewise most excellent eating, and carries
a great deal of meat, so that it is in every way a
bird to be encouraged.

The Monaul breeds in May and June, the hen
laying sometimes as many as six eggs, but gener-
ally fewer, in a nest under a bush or tuft of grass.
The eggs are buff, speckled with brown, like turkey’s
eggs. The display of the cock is of the frontal
type, the attitude being much like that of the
turkey. His call is a loud plaintive whistle, unlike
the harsh notes of most birds of this family; and
the hen’s note is similar.

It is worth knowing, considering how many
people now reside in the hills for long periods,
that the Monaul is capable of complete domesti-
cation ; the birds may be brought up so tame that
they can be allowed to go about at large like poul-
try. The species is also a very suitable one for
acclimatisation as a game bird wherever congenial
localities exist, as it affords good sport, being wary

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 55

and readily taking wing. The cock varies a good
deal in colour, black, white and pied varieties, and
others with the copper on the neck replaced by
steel-blue having been recorded. The last-named
has been described as a distinct species under the
name of Lophophorus mantout.

The Bronze-backed Monaul.

Lophophorus impeyanus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 97.

The male of this species resembles the last in
size and form, but differs in having the lower back
bronze and purple instead of white, and the under-
parts glossed with green instead of being jet black.
The hen is not known, and only a very few of the
other sex have been obtained, all in Chamba,
south-east of Kashmir.

It seems, from an account by Major G. S.
Rodon, in the Journal of the Bombay Natural
History Society, that the native shikaries of the
locality say that this form is merely a ‘‘ sport ’’
from the common Monaul, which likewise occurs
there. Considering the proneness of the common
species to variation, and the unlikelihood of two
‘species of pheasants, differing only in colour, re-
maining distinct in the same district, I am strongly
inclined to think that their account is correct, and
that the Bronze-backed Monaul, like the Black-
winged Peacock, is not a true species, though
excellently exemplifying a variation from which a
species may arise. The subject is one which would
well repay investigation, and I hope that anyone
who may be living in Chamba will look out for a

36 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

cock Monaul showing no white upon the back, and
thenceforward investigate his family and rela-
tionships, if possible. It is a pity to kill the bird,
as the form is now known, and it would be more
interesting scientifically to find out about its pro-
pagation, although, of course, breeding in con-
finement would be an easier and simpler means
to this end.

The Crestless Monaul.

Lophophorus sclatert, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 282.

This species differs markedly from the common Monaul im
having no crest, but the crown of the cock covered with short
curly or frizzled feathers. The wings are alsoshorter. In gen-
eral colour the two species are very similar, but the male of the
crestless bird has the upper tail-coverts and tip of the tail white
as well as the rump. In the hen the rump is very light and the
tail has a broad white tip. This species inhabits the Mishmi
Hills.

Lhuys’s Monaul.

Lophophorus Phuysii, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 81.

NATIVE NAMES.—Pae-mow-ky, Ho-than-ky, Chinese,

This is larger than the common Monaul, and has a crest of
ordinary-shaped feathers. The general colour is similar to that
of the common species, but with more of the copper-colour, and
the tail glossy green and blue instead of cinnamon. The hen dif-
fers from the common Monaul hen in having a large white patch
onthe back, This species inhabits Western Szechuen and
Eastern Koko-nor, and is said to be becoming very rare through
persecution by the natives.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 37

The Blood-Pheasant.

Ithagenes cruentus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV., p. 103.

NATIVE NAMES :—Chilimé, Nepalese ; Semo,
Bhutan ; See-mong, Lepcha.

Only one species of this very well-marked genus
is found with us. It is a small bird for a pheasant,
being about a foot and a half long, with a broad
rounded tail not so long as the closed wing, the
whole bird being thus rather partridge-like in
style. The plumage is very characteristic, being
long, full, and soft ; the crown has a short bushy
‘crest, and there is bare skin round the eye. Cock
and hen are much alike in shape, but differ abso-
lutely in colour, and the former has several spurs
on each leg.

In colour he is grey streaked with white above
and on the flanks and lower belly ; the breast is
apple-green splashed with crimson, and the throat
and feathers under the tail are crimson.

The hen is brown, finely pencilled with black,
and with a grey cap and chestnut throat.

The legs are coral-red, as also are the base of
the bill and the bare eye-patch, which is brighter
in the male, however. The bill is black. i

The cock will measure about eighteen inches,
with a wing of eight and-a-half, tail nearly seven,
shank nearly three, and bill under one inch. The
hen is a little smaller. This is a thoroughly alpine
bird, ranging between ten and fourteen thous-
and feet in the Himalayas, where alone it is found.
It occurs in Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan, but its

38 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

exact eastern and western limits are unknown,
except that it does not extend to Kumaon. In
Sikkim, at all events, it inhabits pine forests,
feeding on the shoots of the conifers and on various
other leaves, seeds, and fruits. The flavour con-
sequently varies, and sometimes it is so strong
and unpleasant that the bird is hardly fit to eat
at all.

In such cases the objectionable taste could prob-
ably be in great measure removed by ‘‘ draw-
ing ’’ the birds as soon as killed, as no doubt the
food they contain taints the meat.

The voung have been seen in May, but beyond
this nothing is known of the breeding of the spe-
cies. Birds of the year have no spurs, and in
older specimens they vary in number, being dif-
ferent on each leg; four on one and five on the
other seems to be the maximum. With such
saw-like shanks the Blood-Pheasant cock ought
to be able to give a good account of himself in a
fight ; but in the autumn, at all events, males and
females are found associating together in flocks of
more than a dozen. The Blood-Pheasant is not
a shy bird, and much prefers running to flying ; its
call note is a squeal like a kite’s, while it has a
shorter cry of alarm. It is suspected of burrowing
under the snow in winter like some grouse;
indeed, the short-tailed hill pheasarts of the East
recall grouse in more ways than one, and evidently
take the place of those birds in the economy of
nature.

Only two other species of the present genus are
known :—

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 39

Geoffroy’s Blood-Pheasant.

Ithagenes geoffroyt, Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 269.

The male of this species much resembles the Indian bird, but
has the throat and breast grey, thus being duller in colour, while
the hen is greyer above and has the tail indistinctly edged with
crimson,

This Blood-Pheasant is found in Eastern Tibet and Western
Szechuen, and so comes near Indian limits.

Chinese Blood-Pheasant.

Ithagenes sinensis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 270.
NATIVE NAME.—Sermean, Kan-su.

The male can be distinguished from the Indian bird by the
blackish-brown sides of the crest, blackish-grey front of the neck,
and by having a rusty-brown patch on the wing where there is
a green one in the other two species. The hen is
most like that of the Indian bird, but has a grey instead of brown
throat. This species inhabits high mountains in China.

CHAPTER IV.

The Long-tailed Pheasants.

Of the various long-tailed types of pheasants,
the true Argus is certainly the most remarkable,
the genus being quite unique among birds in
general. The most important characters, in addi-
tion to the bare head and long secondary quills
mentioned in the previous chapter, are the rather -
long legs and the tail, which is folded like that of
a common fowl and composed of only 12 feathers.
It is only moderately long in the hen, barely ex-
ceeding the wing ; but in the cock the middle tail
feathers are of enormous length, up to over four
feet. In this sex also the secondary quills, which
are very broad as well as long, exceed the prima-
ries by considerably more than a foot; even in the
hen the primaries are some inches shorter than
the secondaries.

The Argus.

Argusianus argus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 71.
NATIVE NAMES :—Quou, Burong quou,

Kwang, Malay; Kvyekwah, Siamese at
Bankasoon.

The plumage of this bird would be very diffi-
cult to describe in full, but it is not hard briefly to
characterise. In both sexes it is mostly of a dark

. Medland.

Copyright.

ARGUS PuHeasant, Cock.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 41

brown, closely mottled with buff, the breast being
of a plain bay ; the bare head is blue, and the legs
ted; the cock has no spurs.

As above noted, he differs from the hen in his
enormous secondary quills and central tail feathers,
the latter being curiously twisted at the end. The
male Argus’s wing-quills, also, both primary and
secondary, bear the elaborate decoration which
makes him one of the most wonderful birds in
the world, but none of this is visible in the ordinary
attitude of repose. The primary quills have a
dark blue shaft, and a band of chestnut, finely
dotted with white alongside it on the inner web of
the feather; the secondaries have along the shafts
of their outer webs a row of most beautiful eye
‘spots, or “ocelli,’’ shaded with ochre, drab, and
white, so beautifully as to resemble balls lying
in sockets, the ‘‘lights’’ being most artistically
rendered. As Darwin has shown, on the plumage
of this bird a complete gradation can be traced
from these wonderful markings to ordinary spots.
Another peculiarity of the male, concealed in
repose, is that the lower part of the back is buff
with black spots.

The male is altogether larger than the female,
and his extravagant developments of plumage
make him seem even bigger than he is. He ts
about six feet long, with a tail of over four feet ;
the wing to the end of the great secondaries is
nearly a yard long, but the primaries are only
about a foot and a half; the shank is four, and a
half inches long, and the bill rather more than
one and a half. In the hen the length is about
two and a half feet ; the wing a foot, and the tail
an inch more; the shank is about an inch shorter

42 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

than the maie’s. Her general appearance some-
what suggests both a fowl and a turkey.

In our empire this bird is only found in the
extreme south of Tenasserim, but it inhabits the
Malay Peninsula generally, as well as Sumatra and
the Laos mountains in Siam. It is a true jungle
bird, confined to evergreen forest, and hardly ever
seen, as it is very wary and a great skulker. There
appears to be no regular breeding season, nor do
the birds associate in pairs or families. The hens
wander about casually, and the males remain
near clearings, which each makes for himself,
picking all the weeds, leaves, etc., off an area a
few yards square. In this he generally lives,
roosting at night on a tree close by, and going out
to feed on fallen fruit and insects.

Here, too, he is too frequently captured by
various poaching devices in the way of snares and
deadfalls, for there is a considerable demand for
his beautiful plumage. A good many birds also
seem to be taken alive: they are very quiet and
easy to tame.

It is in his arena, presumably, that the cock
displays himself to the hen, for he has a mest
remarkable and elaborate display, which requires
a good deal of space. This has frequently been
witnessed in captivity; and I have seen it more
than once myself. The cock, when at full show,
spreads his wings to their fullest extent, at the
same time bringing them down in front till they
meet before his head, while behind they are ele-
vated so as almost to meet in front of the raised
spread tail, the whole effect being of a great, paint-
ed, almost vertical screen or fan, hiding the head
and body completely. The bird, however, which

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND .ASIA. 43

is careful to have the hen in front of him, in some
cases every now and then pushes his head between
two of his quills to see what effect he is producing.

The said effect, in the cases I have observed,
was absolutely mid ; but very likely a captive hen,
confined always with the male, is bored and indif-
ferent. I did not see the peeping manceuvre on
his part, bnt traces of its frequent performance
may be found in the worn quills in skins.

The Argus does not seem to fight at all, and has
been observed to give up his cherished parlour to
an aggressive Fire-back pheasant without a
struggle; but our old bird at the Calcutta Zoo-
logical Garden would fly at a hand presented to
him, striking with bill and feet. In a wild state
the males answer each other’s calls. The note is
a very curious one for a bird, a sort of double
whoop, somewhat recalling the note of the Hoolock
Apes, though not so rapidly repeated as_ theirs.
The hen has a note of several syllables, more
quickly uttered, but of somewhat the same _ type.

She seems to lay at any time, the eggs being
seven or eight in number and reddish buff in tint.
Although the nest is, as usual, on the ground, the
young fledge sufficiently to fly and take to a perch
in a very few days.

The Argus, as it can hardly ever be seen wild,
to say nothing of being shot, is rather out of court
as a game-bird; but it has considerable value
aS a menagerie specimen, live birds fetching
about thirty rupees each in Calcutta. It seems
to me, therefore, that snaring in such a way as
to cause its death should be prohibited, and its
capture in any way regulated, as, if preserved, the

44 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

high price it fetches would render it a profitable
as well as harmless inmate of our jungles.

‘Gray’s Argus.

Argusianus grayi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. NNII,

Pp. 365.
Only one other species of true Argus is certainly known, from
Borneo, which is rather smaller than our bird, but does not differ

much from it otherwise, being merely redder on the breast,
with paler mottling above.

Double-spotted Argus.

Argusianus bipunctatus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 366.

There is in existence, however, a piece of a primary quill
feather, now in the British Museum, on the evidence of which a
presumed third species has been named. In this specimen the
~white-dotted cinnamon patch is found on both sides of the shaft,
which is slighter than that of a corresponding quill from the
‘common Argus. It is not known what the other feathers of
this specimen were like or where it came from, and it might
have been merely a “ sport ;” if so, it was certainly a progres-
sive one, tending to greater ornamentation than the ordinary
species possesses.

‘The Crested Argus.

Rheinardtius ocellatus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,

Pp. 367.
This Argus is of a different type of form from the typical Argus
above described, having wings of ordinary size in both sexes,
which are also provided with a large erect tuft-crest on the back

-of the head. The male has all the tail-feathers very long, broad
and pointed.

The colouration is very complicated, being of a brown, diversi-
fied with numerous fine chestnut and white markings in the male,
and black and buff pencilling in the hen, but the characteristic
shape is quite distinctive. The male’s tail is five feet long;
that of the hen is about fourteen inches, The species is found
in the Tonquin mountains ; a race with darker upper parts, and

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 45

lighter markings, in the males, occurring at Pahang in the
Malay Peninsula, it has never, so far as I know been brought
to Europe alive.

We have next to consider the Peacock-Pheasants,
or Polyplectrons, which are rather small birds as
pheasants go, with long legs, short rounded wings,
and long flattish tails, composed of as many as
twenty broad rounded feathers. The upper tail
coverts are also very long and broad. The gen-.
eral build is light, and the birds are very active
There is a bare skin round the eye in both sexes;
but the female is smaller and less bright than the.
male, and is not spurred, whereas the male has
more than one spur on each leg, whence the scien-.
tific name, which means ‘‘ many-spurred.’’

Only one species is certainly known as occurring
in our empire.

The Grey Peacock-Pheasant.

Polyplectrum chinguis, Faun. Brit. Ind.,.
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 73.

NATIVE NAMES :—Patsa-walla majur, Cachar
Tea-Garden coolies; Munnowur, Deyoda-
huk, Assamese ; Deodurug, Deodirrik, Garo.
Hills ; Kat-mor, Chittagong; Doun-kalah,
Arrakan and Pegu ; Shwedong, Tenasserim.

The male of this species has a rather short,
hairy-looking crest, always standing on end; his
tail is several inches longer than the closed wing.
The general plumage is a grizzle, produced by
numberless tiny cream-coloured spots on a drab
ground, but the throat is pure white, and the back,
wings, and tail studded with eye-spots of green
shot with purple, and bordered with cream colour.

46 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

‘* Studded ’’ exactly expresses the effect, for so
beautifully shaded are these spots that they seem
to stand out from the feather like convex bosses
of metal. They are round, small and single on
the back and wings; large, oval and double on
the tail and its upper coverts; in all cases being
near the tip of the feather. His bill and legs are dull
black, eyes white, and face pale sickly yellow.

The hen is considerably smaller than the cock,
and has the tail much shorter even in proportion,
this being less than two inches longer than the
wing in her. In general style of plumage she
resembles the male, but has a.shorter crest, is duller
and darker in colour, and has, instead of eye-
spots, ill-defined black patches, with only a faint
gloss of green. On the longest tail-feathers and
their coverts, even these poor apologies for eye-
spots are absent. Her bill, legs, and face are less
decided in colour, and her eyes grey. Themale
is just over two feet long, with a fourteen-inch tail
and wing of over nine inches ; his shanks are three
inches long, provided with from one to three spurs
each ; his bill about an inch and a half from corner
of mouth to tip.

The hen is only nineteen inches in length, with
a nine-inch tail, and wing of less than eight inches ;
the shank is only about a quarter of an inch shorter
than her mate’s.

The Peacock-Pheasant ranges from Sikkim
through Assam and Burma to Siam, always keeping
on or near hills, though not a bird of high elevations,
as it seems not to range above six thousand feet.
It frequents thick jungle on hill sides and ravines,
and is very wary and hard to approach. The male

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 47

has a most unpleasant call, a kind of harsh barking
cackle, and will often reply to a gunshot with it.
In showing off to the female he manages to display
all his beauties at once, by raising one wing and
lowering the other, at the same time spreading and
slanting his tail, so as to exhibit all his spots on
the side turned towards her. He also displays
frontally crouching down with spread erected tail
and wings set out on eachside. In captivity he is
true to one mate, and she displays an interesting
method of protecting her chicks, keeping her broad
tail spread horizontally as a sort of natural um-
brella to hide and shelter them as they follow her.
They, in their turn, have the instinct to follow
closely so strongly developed that when specimens
were hatched under a Bantam fowl at the London
Zoological Gardens, they persisted in running close
behind her. In this way they got more kicks than
cover, and it was not till the Peacock-Pheasant
herself hatched chicks that the habit was under-
stood.

The eggs of the Peacock-Pheasant are buff-
coloured and about two inches long; tame birds
only lay two. The wild ones nest about
May.

Malayan Peacock-Pheasant.

Polyplectrum bicalcavatum, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 357.

The male of this is speckled with black instead of cream-
colour, and has a longer crest, glossed with purple and green.
The hen is also easily distinguishable by the dark instead of light
speckling. This species inhabits the Malay Peninsula.

48 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA,

Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant.

Polyplectrum germaini, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 357.

This has no crest at all; its plumage is light-speckled, but
darker in tone than in our grey bird, and the eye-spots on the
tail feathers are longer. In the hen the eye-spots are better
developed than in that of our species, and are found on the
longer tail-coverts. Germain’s Peacock-Pheasant is found in
Cochin-China ; a smaller race of species (P. katsumate) with the
eye-spots greener and less purple and the mottling finer, inhabits
Hainan. The males, at all events, of this and the last Peacock-
Pheasant have the bare skin of the face red, so that a red-faced
Peacock-Pheasant in British territory is a bird to keep one’s
eye upon.

Bornean Peacock-Pheasant.

Polyplectrum schletermacheri, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 259.

This Bornean representative of the Malayan Peacock-Pheasant
chiefly differs from it by having the under parts mostly black in
the male, but white down the centre, the chest being spangled
with purplish-green ; the hen, like the hen of the Malayan species,
has eye-spots on the end of the tail-feathers, but not on
the longer tail-coverts as that species’ female has; and she is
washed with black below.

Napoleon’s Peacock-Pheasant.

Polyplectron napoleonis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 361.

This, the smallest and most beautiful of the Peacock-Pheasants,
inhabits the island of Palawan in the Philippines. The cock,
which is only about as big as the hen of the common Indian Pea-
cock-Pheasant, has a long-pointed crest ; the general colour of
the plumage is black, glossed with blue and green above; the
lower back and tail are buff, speckled with black, and the tail
is marked with blne-and-green eye-spots. The hen which is
smaller, is also crested, and has the crown black ; the plumage
generally is brown, mottled with black, and there are green eyes
spots on the tail. .

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 49

Purple-tailed-Pheasant.

Chalcurus chalcurvus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 361.

This peculiar Sumatran Pheasant is closely allied to the Pea-
cock-Pheasants, but has the sides of the face feathered, and the
tail as long and narrow as in the typical Pheasants ; there are no
eye-spots, and the general plumage of both sexes is pencilled
with light and dark brown ; the tail is of a glossy purplish blue
at the tip and sides. : ;

Intermediate Peacock-Pheasant.
Chalcurus inopinatus, ROTHSCHILD, Bull. Brit. Ornith.
Club, Vol. XIII, p. 41.

The close relationship of the last species with the Peacock-
Pheasants is proved by the recent discovery of this intermediate
form from Ulu Pahang in the Malayan Peninsula ; it has long
patches instead of eye-spots on the tail, which is shaped as in
C. chalcurus, but has eye-spots on the upper parts; the hen also
bears faint editions of these.

Lady Amherst’s Pheasant.

Chrysolophus amherstiw, Brit. Mus. Cat.,
Birds, Vol. XXIT, p. 342.

NATIVE NAME :—Seng-ky, Chinese.

The male of this species is a remarkable-looking
bird, not to be mistaken for anything else, though
the hen is not at all striking. The cock has a long
narrow crest from the back of the head, a cape or
ruff (which can be spread out like a fan) covering
the back of the neck, and an immensely long tail,
with the centre feathers particularly long and broad,
and arched transversely, so as to roof over the
rest. The upper tail-coverts are also very
long, and lie along the sides of the tail like the
** side hangers ’’ of a cock. The bare face, of a

D

50 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

livid blue or green, is almost the only point which
this very over-dressed bird shares with the hen
of his species.

If his attire were less exuberant, Lady Amherst’s
godchild would still attract attention by his start-
ling colouring. His crown, throat, breast, upper
‘back, and wings, are rich metallic dark green, with
black edgings to the feathers ; the under-parts below
the ‘breast are pure white. The ruff is white, with
black edgings to each feather, and the enormous
centre tail-feathers are also white, with black bars
and pencillings ; the side tail-feathers are brown and
differently marked. The whole is set off by the
blood-red crest, scarlet tips to the long upper tail-
coverts, and by the lower back being yellow, bor-
dered with scarlet where it nears the tail.

The eyes are white, and the legs bluish like the
face. The length of this bird is over four feet,
but a yard of this is tail; the wing barely exceeds
eight inches, and the shank three; it is a smaller
and lighter-made bird than the home pheasant.

The hen is brown, boldly barred with black,
especially upon the upper surface of the body.
She has a bare bluish or greenish space round the
eye, and grey legs, like the cock, but her eyes are
dark. Her zebra-like markings will easily distin-
guish her from the hen of Stone’s pheasant, the
only one for which she could be mistaken. Besides,
her tail is much longer in proportion than that
bird’s, being more than a foot long, although she
is a smaller bird,

This remarkable bird is one of the latest addi-
tions to the fauna of our Empire, having only been
introduced to our notice in 1899 by Mr. Oates

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 5r

who had.an opportunity of inspecting a male spe-
cimen which had been obtained by one of the
officers attached to. the Boundary Delimitation
Commission, on the Burmo-Chinese frontier.

The proper habitat of the species is the moun-
tains of Western. China and Eastern Tibet. It
was introduced into Europe alive a good many
years ago, and is probably now better known as
an aviary bird than in the wild state.

Golden Pheasant. ,
Chrysolophus pictus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 339.

NATIVE NAME :—Kin-ky, Chinese.

The cock of this species, which has long been a well-known
fancy bird both in India and Europe, is chiefly golden above
and scarlet below; he is ruffed and crested like the Amherst,
the crest being fuller than in that bird ; but his tail is not so large.
The hen is extremely like the Amherst hen above described,
but has dull yellow legs and no bluish bare skin round the eye.
Moreover, the general tone of her plumage is yellower, and there
is a wash of gold on the top of her head. The gold pheasant
inhabits the mountains of South and West China, but is kept in
domestication in many countries.

The Cheer: Pheasant.

Catreus wallichit, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 82.

NATIVE NAMES :—Chihir, Chir, Nepal, Ku-
maun, Garhwal, &c.; Bunch, Herril, N.
of Mussoorie ; Chaman, Kulu and Chamba.

The Cheer bears a close general resemblance to

the typical pheasants of the genus Phasianus, having

- the same style of tail and no ruff; but the head
is’ furnished with a long narrow-pointed crest in

52 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

both sexes, which also have in common a bare red
skin round the eye. This style of head is charac-
teristic of some Kaleeges, as will be seen in the
next chapter; and its combination with the long
narrow true pheasant tail makes the Cheer quite
unique and easily recognisable. The male Cheer
is larger than the female, and is spurred; but the
latter has nearly as long a tail in proportion, and
is not much duller in colour, though different in
pattern: the cock Cheer being an unusually dull
bird for a pheasant.

His general colour is a buffy white, closely
barred with black above and sparingly mottled
with that colour below ; his head is drab, and the
front and sides of his neck plain dirty white ; the
lower part of his back is warm buff barred with
steely black, and his tail is really handsome, being
rich buff, barred with broad bands of mixed chest-
nut and black. The middle of the belly is black,
and the flanks rusty yellow.

The bill is pale grey-brown, and the feet drab.

In lergth the cock measures about a yard, and
although nearly two-thirds of this is tail, he is yet
really a considerably bigger bird than the English
pheasant ; having a ten-inch wing, the shank nearly
three inches, and the bill about half that.

The hen has the same dark cap and white throat,
the former rather obscured by light edges to the
feathers; but the neck and breast are black with
pale edges, and the general body colour darker
than in the cock, and rather mottled than barred,
with longitudinal streaks of buff; the tail is also
irregularly mottled and barred with brown, black,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 53

and buff; the lower part of the breast is plain
chestnut edged with buff.

The hen is about two feet long or more, with
a tail of over fourteen inches, and a wing of nine.

This is a well-known bird all through our hills,
though somewhat local. With us it occurs from
Chamba to Khatmandu, and it is not known
outside these limits. It is a bird of moderate ele-
vations, ranging between four and ten thousand
feet according to seasons; it is particularly partial
to wooded precipices, and very constant to local-
ities which suit it. It is a sociable bird, flocks of
from five to fifteen being commonly found, except
in the breeding-season, and both sexes crow.
The note is varied, but generally includes repeti-
tions of the bird’s name.

This pheasant is especially a root-eater, and it
also feeds on berries, seeds, and insects, but not
‘on leaves and grass. It breeds from April to June,
laying up to fourteen eggs of a pale stone colour,
usually speckled with brown at the end, and just
.over two inches long. The male Cheer has not
been seen to show himself off to the female; but
as one we had at the Calcutta Zoo used to assume
a slanting posture, with his fine tail spread, when
anxious to fight a visitor, I conclude that he was
simply following the display habit of his species.

There now remain typical pheasants, belonging
to the same genus as that which includes
the well-known bird at home. In this group
(Phasianus) both sexes are very similar in form,
though they differ absolutely in colour; but the
males are larger than the females, have short sharp
spurs, and much longer tails. The tail in both

54 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

sexes has the middle feathers much the longest,
the others rapidly diminishing to the outer pair ;
and the long central feathers are transversely
arched, so that they form a roof over the flat
feathers below, the whole tail thus looking very
narrow and pointed. The cocks have a red bare
skin round the eve, and there is sometimes some
of this in the hen. They show off in the sideway
slanting posture. The pheasants of this group are
active birds, strong on the wing and ready to rise :
they will live anywhere where there is moderatc
cover, but avoid heavy forest. They are charac-
teristic of temperate regions as a rule, and are
the best game birds of the whole family.

Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant.

Phasianus humie@, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 80.

NATIVE NAME :—Loe-nin-koi, Manipur.

The general colour of the male in this species
is a rich bay with a golden gloss; the head and
neck are steel-blue, and the rump steel-blue with
white edgings to each feather, giving a beautiful
scaled appearance ; there are two white bars across
the wing, with a broad patch of steel-blue between
them; the tail is grey, crossed by bars of mixed
black and chestnut, The bill is greenish, eyes
orange, and legs brown.

The hen is mottled with drab, sandy, and black.
and has the outer pairs of tail-feathers chestnut
with white tips, and imperfectly barred with black.

The male is about thirty-three inches long,
about twenty inches being taken up by the tail;

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 55

the closed wing measures about eight and-a-half
inches, and the shank nearly three. The hen has
a very much shorter tail, this being only seven
inches long; but her wing is only about half an
inch less than the cock’s.

Mr. Hume discovered this bird in Manipur in
1881. Heonly got two specimens, both males, and
very few have since been procured. The species has,
however, been found to also inhabit the Ruby Mines
District in Upper Burma, as also the Shan States.

Burmese male birds commonly have the whit¢
edging of the rump-feather so much broader than
in the typical birds, that the whole of that part of
the back looks silver-white rather than scaled as
in the ordinary form, but I do not consider them
distinct, although Mr. Oates has named the Bur-
mese bird—just distinguished as a variety by me—
as a distinct species, burmannicus.

Elliot’s Pheasant.

Phasianus ellioti, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 335-

The male of this species, from the South-Eastern Chinese moun-
tains, is readily distinguished from Hume’s Pheasant by the white
abdomen and white sides of the neck; the hen, in addition
to the white abdomen, differs from the Hume’s Pheasant hen by
having a black throat. The eggs are pale buff. Unlike most
pheasants, it is a wandering bird, and does not haunt one local-
ity ; it is well known in captivity in Europe.

Copper Pheasant.

Phastanus sommervingt, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 336.

NATIVE NAME :—Kee-ez, Japanese.

The Copper Pheasant does not inhabit the whole of Japan,
but only Hondo and Kiu-siu ; the cock is chestnut in colour, with

56 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

the edges of the back and breast feathers richly glossed with
red-gold ; the tail which is a yard long, is in two shades of chest-
nut, barred with black. The hen is mottled with black and chest-
nut, with the tail, which is barely eight inches long, chestnut
with black white tips. A variety of the cock, which has the
golden edgings of the feathers replaced by black and white, has
sometimes been distinguished as the Sparkling Pheasant, P.
scintillans, The eggs are greenish-white ; the Japanese name
expresses the peculiar call, This species in both varieties 1s
well known in Europe; but a third recently-described race or
species, Ijima’s Pheasant (P. ijime), from Kiu-siu, in which the
whole rump of the cock is white, has not been imported, as far as
I know.

Mikado Pheasant.

Calophasis mikado, Grant, Bull., Brit. Ornith. Club,
Vol. XVI, p. 277.

Has only been recently made known ; the cock is one of the
most distinct of all pheasants in appearance, and especially in
this long-tailed group ; he is blue-black, with white markings
on the wing, and white cross-bars on the tail. The hen is mot-
tled brown, with small white dashes on the upper back and
breast. The species inhabits Formosa.

Reeves’ Pheasant.

Phasianus veevesi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
P. 337.

This very beautiful species, familiar in captivity in Europe,
and even sometimes kept at large there, is far bigger than any
other long-tailed pheasant, the hen even being as large as the
cocks of the ordinary pheasants, The cock has an excessively
long tail—five or six feet; this is chiefly silver-grey, boldlv
barred with black ; the head and neck are black and white, with
very little red skin round the eye ; the upper parts yellow, with
black edges to the feathers. The hen is very minutely and bean-
tifully variegated with black, buff and grey like a Nightjar ;
her head is buff, with dark-brown crown and eye-stripes, and
there are white dashes on the upper back and breast ; the mid-
dle tail-feathers, which are not longer proportionately than in
common pheasants, are mottled grey, the outside ones
mostly chestnut, tipped with white. This bird is wild and flies
for long distances ; the cock’s note is like the warble of a small
bird. It inhabits the mountains of North and West China.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 57

Stone’s Pheasant.

Phasianus elegans, Fauna Brit. Ind., Vol.
IV, p. 81.

The male of this species has a great general
resemblance to the common English pheasant, having
the same green and purple head and neck, and chest-
nut upper back and flanks, the latter spangled
with purple black; the tail also is similar, light
brown with black bars. But the small wing-coverts,
which are sandy in the English pheasant, are
French-grey in the present bird, which also has
the rump or lower back gray and green instead
of maroon. Moreover, the glossy green-black of
the lower breast extends in this species right up
to the green neck, whereas in the home pheasant
the upper breast is bay with purple edgings to
the feathers.

The legs are lead-coloured, and the bare skin
of the face scarlet. The hen is mottled with black
and pale drab, much like the hen of the well-known
pheasant at home. The absence of chestnut on
the outer tail-feathers will distinguish her from
the hen of Hume’s Pheasant.

The cock is about twenty-seven inches long,
with a nine-inch wing and sixteen-inch tail; the
shank is about two and-a-half inches, and the
bill one and-a-quarter. The hen is decidedly
smaller, with a much shorter tail in proportion,
this measuring only nine inches—an inch longer
than her closed wing.

This pheasant was first known from the prov-
ince of Szechuen in Southern China, but was
almost simultaneously found by Dr. J. Anderson

58 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

the first Superintendent of the Indian Museum
at Momien in the Yunnan province, where it was
common on grassy hills at an elevation of five
thousand feet. Recently it has turned up_ in
Burma, at about the same elevation, in the Nor-
thern Shan States, where one was shot by Lieu-
tenant H. R. Wallis.

There is considerable difference of opinion as
to exactly how many species or races of the
pheasants of this type are to be recognised; but
the following are easily distinguishable and well
known :—

Common Pheasant.

Phasianus colchicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 322.

This species ranges from Greece to through Asia Minor and
Transcaucasia, and is still! common in the vicinity of the ancient
Phasis (the modern River Rion, in Mingrelia), whence, classical
tradition says, it was imported into Europe. The pure bird, in
addition to the absence of white neck-ring and to having sandy
wings, 1s distinguished by having the rump dark maroon red,
with no green or grey tinge ; the eggs are olive in colour.

Ring-Necked Pheasant.

Phasianus torquatus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 331. :

This is the characteristic Pheasant of China, ranging from
the Lower Amoor to Canton ; it has been known in Britain for
more than a century. The pure Chinese bird has white eye-
brows and collar, grey wings andrump, and the flanks distinctly
paler than the breast, being buff; the Formosan race (P.
jovmosanus) has their primrose-colour. The hen is drab, mottled
with black, like that of the Common Pheasant.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 59

Green Japanese Pheasant.

Phasianus versicolor, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 324.

This is far the most distinct in colour of all the races; it is
confined to Japan, and even there does not occur in Yezo. The
breast and flanks are all dark glossy green, the wings and ramp
grey ; there is no neck-ring. The hen is more darkly mottled
with black than in other hen pheasants of this type, especially
on the breast. This is well known in Europe, and often crossed
with the two previous races. Stone's pheasant much resembles
the hybrid thus produced.

Mongolian Pheasant.

Phasianus mongolicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 328.

This species, ranging from the Syr-Darya east to lake Zaisan
and south to the Issik-kul valley, is very distinct from the three
last in two structural points—the absence of the ear-tufts and
the fact that the naked red face-skin only dilates below the eye
and not above also. In colour it is dark’ ¢oppery red; with the
darker markings on breast and flanks indistinct ; there is a
broad white collar, interrupted in front by the copper-red of the
breast, which runs up the neck, this not being green or purple
all round as in other pheasants of this type ; the white wings and
straw-coloured eyes are also striking points. The light eyes
also characterise the hen which is also paler than the hens of
the common and Ring-necked species. The Dzungarian race (P.
semitorguatus) is similar, but has a green instead of purple gloss
on the plumage, and the collar more widely broken. The
Mongolian is a large race, and greatly favoured at present in.
Britain for crossing purposes.

Royal or Murghab Pheasant.

Phasianus pvincipalis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 325. ace ey 2 Beccpeae tg

This species is of particular interest to Indian sportsmen, as
it is found in North-West Afghanistan, ranging into the adjacent
parts of Persia. It is, like the Common Pheasant, rather uniform
in tint and devoid of a white collar, but is light in hue, being
chestnut rather than bay, and has the wing-coverts white. The
hen is lighter than that of the Common Pheasant. In the bed

60 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

of the Bala Murghab river, where it was discovered, it leads
asemi-aquatic life, running and swimming in watery thickets
likea Rail. It has of late been introduced into Britain. I use
the name *‘ Royal” as it was named after the late King Edward
VII when Prince of Wales.

Besides these, there are two very distinct races which have not
been introduced to Europe so far as I know :—

Oxus Pheasant.

Phasianus chrysomelas, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds,
Vol. XXII, p. 327.

This race, from the Amu-Darya valley, has the spangling of the
flanks very large and bold, and dark green: the green edgings
of the breast feathers coalesce and fuse with the green of the
neck ; there is no white neck-ring, but the wings are white; the
trump is reddish. The hen is pale, like that of the Mongolian.

Viangal’s Pheasant.

Phasianus ulangali, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. NNIT,
P. 330.

Vlangal’s Pheasant inhabits the Tsaidam marshes, but so
remarkably pale in colour, suggesting a desert form ; the shoulders
are sandy, without the usual markings, and the ground-colour
of the flanks buff ; the wings and rump grey as in the Ring-neck,
but there is no neck-ring, the hen is very pale, the dark mottlings
of the plumage being fawn, instead of black as in other hens of
this type.

Then there are several less distinct forms closely related to
the above.

Shaw’s Pheasant.

Phasianus shawi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. NXII,
p. 326.
This is the Yarkand race, and comes very near to the Mur-

ghab Pheasant, but has, among other small diflerences, a tinge
of grey on the wings and green on the rump.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 61

Persian Pheasant.

Phastanus persicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 324.

‘The Persian race comes nearest the Common Pheasant, but
is rather lighter and has the wing-coverts nearly white, thus
approaching the Murghab race ; the hen, however, is as dark as
that of the Common Pheasant. The Pheasants of the Zerafshan
and Tarim valleys (P. zerafshanicus and P; tarimensis) are sub-
races of this form.

Strauch’s Pheasant.

Phasianus strauchi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol, XXII,
Pp. 330.

Strauch’s Pheasant, from the mountains of Kan-su and
Sze-chuen, is somewhat like the Common Pheasant, but has
grey wing-coverts and the rump grey and green, thus approaching
the Ring-neck; the sub-race P. berezuwskyi differs but little.

Hagenbeck’s Pheasant.

Phasianus hagenbecki, Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Ornith.
Club, Vote XII, p. 20.

Is a paler and more distinctly marked race of the Ring-neck,
from Mongolia ; it ranges the furthest north of these pheasants,
as the typical Ring-neck goes furthest south; the Satschuen
Pheasant (P. satschuensts) is also a pale Ring-neck.

Collarless Pheasant.

Phasianus decollatus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. X X11,
Pp. 331.

This bird, from East Yunnan and West China, is much like
the Chinese Ring-neck, but has the white collar absent or only
just indicated, and the breast-feather with broader dark margins.

Many more races have been described, M. Buturlin naming
twice as many as are described here ; but in a book intended for
sportsmen, as this is, it is unnecessary to go into details about
them ; it will have been seen already that, as it is, except for half-
a-dozen or so, these local forms are hard to make out, and even
the best charactérised races breed so freely together that their
distinction as species is very doubtful,

CHAPTER V.

Koklass and Kaleeges.

The Koklass, although they come under the
heading of pheasants with medium tails, bear a
stronger general resemblance to some of the long-
tailed species I have been dealing with. Both
sexes have the head entirely feathered, and the
body-feathers pointed in shape. The tail is point-
ed, both with regard to its individual feathers and
its general shape, the centre feathers being the
longest and the outside the shortest. The wings
are longer and more pointed than in any other
pheasants, the primary or pinion-quills showing
noticeably beyond the secondaries when the wing
is closed, unlike what is usually the case in this
family.

The cocks are altogether different in colour
from the hens, and stand higher on the leg, which
in them is spurred. They have, however, only
one piece of special feather-ornamentation, though
this is a sufficiently remarkable one; for it con-
sists in the male having three crests, one long one
growing from the crown, and_ two still longer,
which flank it on each side. I have never seen
any description of the display of the males, but
it ought to be interesting. The hens have a short
ordinary crest.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 63

The Common Koklass or Pukras.

Pucrasia macrolopha, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 85.

NATIVE NAMES :—Plas, Kashmir; Kukrola,
Chamba; Koak, Kulu, Mandi; Koklass,
Kokla, Simla to Almora; Pokvas, Ku-
maun, Garhwal and W. Nepal.

The cock of this species has a dark green head,
with the central crest fawn-colour, and a white
spot at each side at the commencement of the neck.
The front of the neck is chestnut, and this colour
extends right down the breast and belly, becom-
ing paler behind. The rest of the body plumage
is streaked with black and grey, the former colour
occupying the centre of the feathers, and the latter
the edges. The centre tail-feathers are reddish
brown, and the others black with narrow white
tips, and running into chestnut towards the root.

The: Koklass; however, is a very variable spe-
cies, especially with regard to the breadth of the
chestnut colouring on the under-parts and the
proportions of the black and_ grey in the body
feathers. In the typical bird, as found in the
N.-W. Himalayas, the black centre stripe is about
as wide as the grey edging, but in Western Nepal
specimens the black is much increased, and the
chestnut shows a tendency to extend to the back
and sides of the neck. But thetwo forms run into
each other. Again, the race from Western Kashmir
combines this extension of the chestnut neck colour
with the narrow black stripes of the type. All
these variations have been named as species, the
North-West Himalayan bird being the true Pucra-

64 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

sia macrolopha, while the dark Nepal form is P.
nepalensis, and the Kashmir bird P. biddulphi.

The length of the cock is about two feet, with
the wing just over nine inches and the tail about
ten; the shank measures about two and-a-half
inches and the bill about one and-a-half.

The hen is mottled with black and brown, with
buff streaks above; her eyebrows are buff, and
her throat pure white ; below she is buff with black
streaks, and the middle of the belly white; the
side tail-feathers are black, tipped with white
and edged with chestnut outside. The hens are
much the same everywhere, except that in the
Nepal variety there is often much more chestnut
in the tail.

The short, flat, pointed tail, feathered face,
and long wings will easily distinguish the hen
Koklass from other hen pheasants.

She is about three inches shorter than the male,
with an eight-inch tail, and wing only a little
longer ; the shank is two and-a-quarter inches.

The Koklass is confined to the Himalayas, from
Jumla in Western Nepal to Kashmir ; its range is
from about four thousand feet to the forest limits.
It is pre-eminently a forest bird, and lies close till
flushed, when it flies with great rapidity and is
hard to shoot. Although living on a mixed diet
like most pheasants, it has an especial preference
for leaves and buds ; it is supposed to be our best
pheasant for the table.

It has apparently named itself, like so many
Indian birds, the crow of the male being compared
to the words ‘‘ kok-kok pokrass.’? He usually

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 65

crows in the morning and evening, but will also
answer a gunshot or a peal of thunder—a not un-
common habit with pheasants.

The breeding season is from April to June, and
the birds are then found in pairs ; in autumn and
winter they collect into coveys.

The eggs are about nine in number, pale buff,
often marked with reddish spots of varying size,
and two inches long. No nest of any sort is made,
the eggs being deposited in a ‘‘scrape’’ on the
ground.

The Chestnut Koklass.

Pucrasia castanea, Blandford, Faun. Brit:
Ind., Vol. IV, p. 86.

I mention this species because it is believed to
occur in our Empire ; but very little is known about
it, only two specimens, now in the British Museum,
having ever been obtained. These are said to
have been obtained from Kafiristan, and the bird
is also credited with inhabiting Yassin, Chitral,
and Swat.

It differs from the common Koklass in the much
greater extension of the chestnut colour, which
runs all round the neck, extends some way down
the back and covers the flanks as well as the breast :
the middle of the belly being black.

The hen appears to be still unknown, so that
there is a good deal to be made out about the spe-
cies yet. Of course, there is always the. pos-
sibility of its turning out to be a mere rufous variety
of the common Koklass, just as the Nepal bird is

E

66 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA,

a dark variety. The common grey partridge of
Europe (Perdix cinerea), which has certainly not
more chestnut in its plumage than the ordinary
Koklass possesses, sometimes produces a variety
—formerly named as a species, Perdix montana—
which may be of a rich chestnut colour almost
all over.

Meyer’s Koklass.

Pucrasta meyeri, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, p.
315.

The cock of this species is very like the Common Indian Kok-
lass, but has a yellow collar at the back of the neck ; the hen is
distinguished by having the outer tail-feathers nearly all chest-
nut. It extends from the Mekong river to Central Tibet.

Yellow-necked Koklass.

Pucrasia xanthospila, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 315 ; Song-ky, Chinese.

This has a buff or chestnut collar, but can be distinguished
from both Meyer’s Koklass and the common species by having
the outer tail-feathers grey, barred with black; this point will
also distinguish the hen. It ranges from North-west China to
Eastern Tibet, in the mountains.

Darwin’s Koklass.

Pucrasia darwini, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p- 316; Song-ky, Chinese.

In this species, the sides of the cock are buff in the ground-
colour, with black longitudinal bands; he has no buff colour.
The hen is most like that of the last species, but has the bars
on the tail-feathers only scantily represented by spots. It in-
habits the Eastern Chinese mountains.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 67

‘Styan’s Koklass.

Pucrasia styani, Grant, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, XXIII,
p. 32. 4
This species, from Ichang in Central China, has the under-parts
‘streaked black and grey throughout, with no central belt of
chestnut like all the other species ; above it most resembles the
last. The hen is not known.

The Kaleeges form a large genus of pheasants
which are very easily recognisable. In all, both
‘sexes have a crest, and the sides of the face covered
with bare red skin, which, in the cocks at all events,
is extensible upwards and downwards. The tails
‘in all the species are folded like that of a common
fowl, and in most of them are not much longer
than an ordinary hen’s tail; but in the males the
top feathers have a decided curve, and in some of
the species the tail is quite long in that sex. The
cocks are well spurred, and are hard fighters ; they
have a curious habit of buzzing with their wings
as a challenge.

As sporting birds, the Kaleeges are not to be
commended. They won’t rise: if they can possibly
help it, and as they live in jungle, can make their
arrangements for skulking in safety, and do so.
‘They do not range so high as the other pheasants,
and sometimes even inhabit the plains.

To the naturalist some of the species are of the
highest interest, as they exhibit so many grada-
tions that it is doubtful how many kinds there
really are. This, however, is not encouraging
to the beginner who wishes to precisely identify
whatever birds he may get. It is very probable
that a good deal of interbreeding goes on, with the
natural result of the production of a set of mon-

68 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

grels, since the crosses bred from these nearly
allied birds are probably fertile.

About the first three species there is, however,
no doubt; the males of these all have tails much
like an ordinary domestic hen’s, as described above,
and their plumage is always black, or rather steel-
blue above, and greyish white below, the white
feathers of the under-surface being conspicuously
pointed. Their legs are never red or pink.

The hens of these species are all very much
alike, hardly to be distinguished at all in fact.
Their tails are almost completely fowl-like and
their crests narrow and projecting ; their plumage
is of a nut-brown, with light shafts and tips to
the feathers; the tail feathers, except the centre
or uppermost pair, are black. The plumage has
a much more uniform appearance than that of
other hen pheasants, the light markings being so
small that the birds appear plain brown by com-
parison with these.

The White-crested Kaleege.

Genneus albicristatus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 89.: .

NATIVE NAMES :—Kalij, Kukera, Mirght
Kalij, Kalesuy (male), Kalesi (female),
Hind. in the N.-W. Himalayas; Kolsa,
in the N. Punjab and Chamba.

The male of this species has a long, narrow
drooping crest of white hairy-looking feathers ;
his upper plumage is black, glossed with blue, and
his tail black ; the rump is barred with white, the

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, * 69

feathers being white-tipped, and most of the under-
surface is dirty white, the throat and belly being
brown. The hen is brown, as above described.

The bill of this bird is greenish white, and the
legs dirty white also. The cock measures from
two to two and-a-half feet in length, of which the
tail is about a foot. The wing is over nine inches,
the shank three, and the bill about one and-a-half.
The hen ranges from about two feet down to twenty
inches, her tail and wing being each about eight
inches long.

This species inhabits a zone, from two to ten
thousand feet in elevation, according to the season,
from Kumaun to Hazara in the Himalayas; it is
said not to be found west of the Indus, and of
Nepal it only penetrates the westernmost portion,
if it is found in that country at all. Ofall the hill
pheasants this most affects the neighbourhood
of man; but it is nevertheless not easy to domes-
ticate. It breeds from April to June, the hen
laying about nine cream-coloured eggs in a rude
grass nest on the ground. The eggs are about
two inches long.

The Nepal Kaleege.

Genneus leucomelanus, Blanford, Faun. Brit.
Ind., Birds, Vol. IV, p. go.

NATIVE NAMES :—Kalyj, Hindi; Rechabo,
Bhutia.

This species is blue-black above and white below,
with a white-barred rump, like the last; but it
has a black crest. The hens are practically indis-

70 * GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

tinguishable, and the dimensions differ very little,
though the present species is slightly the smaller.
The legs are horny grey, darker than in the white-
crested Kaleege ; the face of course red, as usual
in this group.

This is the only Kaleege found in most parts.
of Nepal; its nesting habits and eggs appear not
to be recorded.

The Black-backed Kaleege.

Genneus melanonotus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. gr.

NATIVE NAME :—Kayr-rhyak, Lepcha.

This species resembles the last in size and in
having a black crest, but differs in having the upper
surface entirely rich blue-black, with no white
edgings on the rump; the hen is like that of the
preceding species.

The present bird inhabits the Sikkim Hima-
layas, extending on the one side into Eastern
Nepal and on the other into Bhutan, but its exact
range is not yet known. It is, like the others,
a bird of moderate elevations. It breeds from
March to July, according to the elevation it inhab-
its, and apparently differs from the white-crested
Kaleege in making no nest at all and often laying
fewer eggs.

As will have been seen, the Nepal Kaleege is.
intermediate in colour—as it is in geographical
range—between this species and the white-crested,
having the black crest of the present bird and the
white-barred rump of the white-crested species. It

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 71

has therefore been suspected of being a hybrid
between these two by Blyth and Jerdon, but the
researches of Dr. Scully have renioved the bar
sinister from its escutcheon.

The males of all the kaleeges now to be dealt with
differ markedly from those previously described, in
having the breast-feathers of the ordinary rounded
shape, not narrow and pointed. Moreover, the
breast is always mostly black, generally completely
so. It is about the species of this section that so
much uncertainty exists.

The Black-breasted or Purple Kaleege.

Genneus horsfieldt, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 92.

NATIVE NAMES :—Mathura, Chittagong and
Sylhet ; Diurzg, Dirrik, Garo Hills ; Dortk,
at Dibrugarh ; the Jast name seems com-
monly used by Europeans.

This is a bird of similar type to the light-breasted
kaleeges hitherto dealt with, with a narrow pro-
jecting crest, and rather short hen-like tail. The
cock is altogether of a glossy purple-black, except
for the white barring on the rump which he has
in common with two of his allies above mentioned.

The hen is just like the hens of the previous
kaleeges—brown, with each feather tipped with
a lighter shade, and with the tail-feathers black,
except the top or central pair.

The bill is horn-colour, face red, and legs drab
or grey.

72 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The dimensions are also as in the previous spe-
cies, the cock being about two feet long and the
hen about twenty inches. This bird’s range extends
from the lower hills of East Bhootan and the
Daphla country, north of the Assam valley, through-
out the ranges to the southward to Chittagong,
North Arrakan, South Manipur and Bhamo. Its
eggs, which resemble those of the preceding kalee-
ges, have been found in Sylhet towards the end of
March. It has been tried as a game-bird in English
preserves, but though it throve well, was killed
off again as a nuisance, being very pugnacious to
the true pheasants, hard to put up, and flying
dangerously Jow for shooting when it could be
made to rise.

The Lineated Kaleege or Burmese Silver
Pheasant.

Genneus lineatus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. g2.

NATIVE NAMES :—Y%it, Kayit, Burmese;
Rak, Arrakanese; Synklouk, Talain :
Phugvk, Karen.

This is a slightly larger bird than the last, but
of the same type as regards the narrow stiffish
crest and rather short tail ; its colouration is, how-
ever, of a quite different character.

The male is blue-black only on the crest and on
the under-parts; the flanks are also black, with
white streaks in the centres of the feathers, which
streaking may extend over all of the breast also.
But the upper plumage, wings, and tail, are of a

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 73

grizzly grey or pepper-and-salt colour, produced
by fine zig-zag black and white pencillings, which
get stronger and coarser on the quills of the wing
and tail. The topmost or centre tail-feathers, how-
ever, are pure white on their inner webs and tips,
contrasting well with the rest of the plumage.

The hen is brown, with the head, neck, upper
back, and breast distinctly streaked with white,
the white marks being V-shaped on the back of
the neck and shoulders. Her centre tail-feathers
have the inner webs and the tips buff, correspond-
ing to the white of the same pair in the cock;
and the outer pairs are black, marked with brown,
and pencilled with wavy white lines. She is thus
easily distinguishable from the hens of the previous
species.

The face is red, as usual, in this species, and
the bill greenish horn-colour; the eyes, however,
vary from red-brown to white, and the legs from
drab to flesh-colour.

This is the kaleege of Burma, and it extends to
south-western Siam. It frequents hilly grounds,
and keeps to cover, being an inveterate runner
and skulker. It breeds in March and April, the nest
being merely a hollow lined with a few dead leaves,
and containing seven eggs of a pale buff colour.

In order to understand the kaleeges of this
group, it will be necessary to describe a_ species
‘which is not Indian, but which with the exten-
sion of our Empire or of its own ranges may come
to be a British subject, and is at all events better
known generally than any other kaleege.

74 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

This is the Silver Pheasant (Genneus nycthemerus) of China
(Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, p. 307) now rare ina wild state
in that country, but very widely known as an aviary bird, as it
thrives better than any other pheasant in captivity. In this
bird, which is larger than any of our species, the male has a
long full drooping crest, and a very long tail reaching two
feet, and gracefully arched and tapered ; but the feathers com-
posing the tail are flat and lie vertically and back to back as
in other kaleeges. The crest, under-parts, and flanks in the
cock are blue-black, and the upper plumage, wings and tail
pure white, with fine hair-like black pencilling, which becomes.
strong and bold on the wings and side tail-feathers. The centre
tail-feathers are plain, and at a little distance the whole upper
plumage looks white.

The hen has a very short black crest and a moderately long,
closely-folded tail. She is of a plain uniform brown, with the
side tail-feathers boldly pencilled with black and white.

Both sexes have bright red legs, pale green bills, and red faces,
the male’s face having a beautiful velvety appearance.

Crawfurd’s or Anderson’s Silver Pheasant.

Genneus andersoni, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 94.

This species, which is rather doubtful and has
been described under several names, is interme-
diate between the two last. The tail of the male,
although not so long as that of the Silver Pheasant
of China, is nevertheless considerably longer than
the wing, and curved ; the crest is full and droop-
ing. This crest, with the under-parts and flanks,
is black with a blue gloss, as usual ; the upper parts
appear grey at a little distance, but close at hand
are seen to be boldly and clearly marked with con-
centric lines of black and white, equal in breadth
and resembling a curved V or a Gothic arch in
shape. The accuracy of the pattern is something
remarkable, and has a very beautiful effect. On

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 75:

the quills of the wing and tail the marking becomes
a rather irregular pencilling, and on the inner webs.
and tips of the middle tail-feathers the black pen-
cilling dies away altogether.

The hen is plain brown almost throughout,
including the side tail-feathers, but is marked on
the breast with V-shaped white streaks.

The cock is two and-a-half to three feet long,
of which more than half is tail. The wing measures
about ten inches.

This is one of the doubtful species to which I
alluded above, as are also those which follow.
Only a few specimens have been obtained, and
these appear to differ considerably. The type of
the species, however, obtained by the late Dr.
Anderson in the Kachin Hills, closely agrees with
birds from the Ruby Mines in Burma and with
others obtained by French naturalists from Annam.
I was able to observe the last in Paris some years
ago, and there saw the hen. Dr. Anderson’s bird,
which wasin my time still in the Indian Museum, had’
flesh-coloured legs, but the others I have seen had
red ones like the Chinese Silver Pheasant. Several
skins collected by Captain W. G. Nisbett in the
Kachin Hills, north of Bhamo and east of Myit-
kyina, show the most remarkable gradations.
between this species and the Purple or Black-
breasted Kaleege (Genneus horsfieldi), and the two
species evidently interbreed there, the Purple.
Kaleege strain predominating on the lower ground
and the Silver Pheasant on the higher. One such
hybrid, with the white pencilling on the upper
surface less strong than in the true anderson? and.
showing white rump-bars, has been called Genneus.

76 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

davisont. Mr. Oates considers this form the true
andersoni, and calls the Ruby Mines birds Gen-
neus rufipes. All I can say is, however, that what
I have above described as G. andersoni corresponds
with .the typical specimen in Calcutta and with
the figures which have been published to accom-
pany accounts of that species, so that there should
be no doubt about it.

Blanford, in the Fauna of British India, sug-
gests that G. andersont may after all only be a cross
between the Lineated Kaleege and the Chinese Silver
Pheasant ; and certainly there is a stuffed speci-
men of this cross in the Paris Musetm which no
body could call anything .else but an Anderson’s
Silver Pheasant if they did not know its origin.
On the other hand, the uniformity of the type .in
several specimens might be used as an argument
for its distinctness. Many hybrids, however, are
known to be very uniform in type, especially
those between the Golden and Amherst Pheasants,
and the goldfinch and bullfinch. Moreover, inter-
mediate forms appear to occur between Ander-
son’s and the Lineated Pheasant, and also between
the former and the true Chinese Silver Pheasant,
so that on our eastern frontiers there seems to be
a great deal of confusion among these birds which
has not yet been cleared up. Experimental breed-
ing in confinement ought to settle the matter, and
with birds so easily kept and studied as are the
kaleeges the problem might be solved in a few years.

I have dwelt on this point at such length because
the same remarks apply to the other doubtful
forms I shall now describe, though none of these
are so interesting as the Anderson’s Silver Pheasant,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. "7

which is really a very beautiful bird in its own way
and quite unlike anything else, so that if it really
is a hybrid, it is a very remarkable product.

Cuvier’s Kaleege.

Genneus cuviert, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 93.

In this bird, which exactly resembles the Purple
Kaleege in shape, the plumage is also much like
that of that bird, being mostly purple-black with.
white bars on the rump; but the upper parts,
wings, and tail are all regularly but finely pencilled
with white lines. The marking, in fact, is that
of the Chinese Silver Pheasant reversed. All the
tail-feathers are pencilled in this way, from the:
centre pair to the outside, whereas in most of
these pencilled pheasants the marking differs on
the different feathers of the tail.

The hen is brown with lighter edges to the
feathers, like that of the Purple Kaleege, but her
outer tail-feathers, instead of being plain black as
in the hen of that species, are pencilled with fine-
white lines like the plumage of her own mate.

This species, which resembles the Purple Kaleege
in size, seems to be found in the most typical form
in the Chin Hills; at any rate, some specimens I
have examined from there agree remarkably in
their plumage. The figure given by Temminck,
who first described Genneus cuviert, also agrees.
closely with the Chin Hills birds ; but Temminck
could give no locality for his specimen.

At the same time, these Chin Hills kaleeges with.
fine white pencilling on black may be merely

78 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

hybrids between the Purple and the Lineated
Kaleege as Blanford thought. They certainly
are just what one might expect from such a cross.

‘Oates’s Kaleege.

Genneus oatesi, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, Vol.
IV, p. 4.

This is still more like the Purple Kaleege, not
only resembling it in shape and size, but being
almost completely blue-black with white rump-
bars. But there is on the upper plumage a scanty
and broken pencilling, or rather peppering, of
white, giving it a frosted appearance; and the
inner webs of the middle tail-feathers are nearly
white, as in the Lineated Kaleege.

The hen is like that of the Purple Kaleege, but
has the black outer tail-feathers mottled with
black and chestnut, and the inner webs of the
centre tail-feathers pale buff or cream-colour.

This seems to be the kaleege of the Arra-
kan Hills, two of Blyth’s old specimens in the
Asiatic Society’s collection deposited in the Indian
Museum agreeing with the above description.
The description which Blanford gives of G. cuvieri
in the place above cited, also agrees better in some
respects with this bird than with Temminck’s.
But he considers this form also a hybrid, as did
Blyth, who identified it with Temminck’s G.
cuviert. And two other specimens of Blyth’s
from Arrakan are most obviously hybrids between
the Purple and Lineated Kaleeges.

Many other pencilled kaleeges have been des-
-cribed, but I have contented myself with noting

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 79

the forms I have been able to make out personally ;
as, except the Purple, Silver, and Lineated birds,
all the species with which we are here concerned
are very doubtful. Sportsmen who are interested
in the subject should preserve, however roughly,
the skin of any pencilled kaleege they may shoot
in out-of-the-way places, or at least take photo-
graphs of such, the black and white markings
lending themselves admirably to photographic
reproduction. The dimensions and locality should
of course be noted. By the collection of such
evidence we may at length find out how many
species there really are, but I fancy experimental
breeding would determine the point a good deal
sooner.

’

Whitehead’s Silver Pheasant.

Genneus whiteheadi, Grant, Proc., Zool. Soc., 1900,
Pp. 503.

This bears a general resemblance to the Chinese Silver Pheasant
above described, but has the upper surface with bold but scanty
black pencilling, only one pair of thick curved lines on each
feather, joining near the tip; the black markings on the wings
and outer tail-feathers are also stronger. The hen is much more
different from that of the Silver Pheasant, having the neck
and under-parts white with black edges to the feathers, and the
tail all brown. The bird is confined to Hainan. ~

Swinhoe’s Kaleege.

Genneéus swinhowt, Brit. Mus, Cat., Birds, Vol. X XII,
p. 309.

Confined to Formosa, this species is the most distinct of all.
The cock is rich purple-black, with the short crest, centre tail-
feathers, and upper back, pure white and the shoulders deep
glossy red. The hen is variegated with brown and buff, with
the outer tail-feathers bay. The face and legs are red. It is

“well known in captivity in Europe.

80 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The Fire-backed Pheasant.

Lophura rufa, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, Vol.
“IV, p. 87.

After such a terribly mixed up lot as the pen-
cilled kaleeges, it is a relief to come across a bird
which is very distinct from everything else, as is
the present one. In its general appearance the
Fireback resembles the shorter-tailed kaleeges,
but the male has a different style of crest, this
being erect and brushlike, and composed of feathers
which are bare-shafted at the base. There does
not, indeed, seem much reason for separating the
few species of Firebacks from the kaleege genus.
In the male of our only species, the general colour
of the plumage is metallic-purple ; thelower back
is fiery copper-red, and the two centre pairs of tail-
feathers and part of the next pair are white.
There are also some white streaks on the sides of
the body.

The hen is chestnut-coloured with white edges.
to the feathers of the neck in front ; below this the
feathers are black, still with white edges, and the
pattern extends along the flanks; the centre of
the belly is plain white.

The bare skin of the face is bright blue and the
eyes red ; the bill all white in the male, but brown
below in the female. The legs and feet are bright
red.

The cock is a large bird, measuring twenty-
eight inches in length, of which less than a foot
goes to the tail; the wing is almost a foot long,
and the shank nearly five inches. The hen is.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. SI

less than two feet long, with a ten-inch wing and
tail of only eight inches.

This pheasant only just comes within our area,
inhabiting Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula,
whence it extends into the most southern part of
Tenasserim. It inhabits evergreen forests, and
is found in small parties of about half-a-dozen,
though the males are sometimes solitary. They
buzz with their wings like the kaleeges. Like
them also, they are vicious birds ; a very fine speci-
men shown me by a native gentleman in Cal-
cutta, which had been kept for more than twelve
years, was confined in a cage for attacking one of
the servants—whose wrist it had ripped open with
its spur—when allowed to run at large. Another
of the species, in Rutledge’s possession and also
allowed liberty, was, when I last saw it, walking
round and round an old native in a manner
which boded an attack. It was interesting to
see that the bird’s fighting attitude was exactly
like what would be the show position before a hen.
The blue face-skin was expanded, and the slanting
pose assumed, so as to keep the copper back always
in full view of the spectator on whom the bird
was intent.

Little seems to be known of the Fire-back
altogether; our information about its breeding
has been furnished by a captive hen, which laid;
in July, a buff egg a little over two inches long.

Bornean Fire-back.

Lophura ignita, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 288 ; Sempidan, in Sarawak. ‘

This has a generalresemblance to the last, but differs conspicu-
ously by having the upper tail-feathers buff and the under-parts

E

82 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

below the breast of an old-gold colour. The legs are white.
The hen is darker on the back than the hen rufa, and has a black
tail, The species is confined to Borneo.

An intermediate form between rufa and ignita, known only
from two captive specimens, has only some chestnut markings
on the sides of the under-parts, and the upper tail-feathers white ;
it is not known whether this is a distinct species, a hybrid, or a
** sport ’’ of L. ignita.

Diard’s Fire-back.
Lophura diardi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 290.

This fire-back is a much smaller bird than the rest, being smaller
than the common English Pheasant, and slenderly built ; it
also has the face-skin red instead of blue, and the bare shafts
of the crest are longer. Its general colour is grey, with a gold
patch on the lower back, the rump glossy crimson, with blue
edges to the feathers, and the head and tail black ; the legs are
red. The hen is reddish brown with buff and black bars on the
wings and the belly black with white edgings. This lovely bird
inhabits the Shan States, and ranges to Cochin China; it is
much kept in captivity in Europe.

Wattled Pheasant.

Lobiophasis bulweri, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol, XXII,
p. 292 ; Bagier, Sarawak.

This splendid member of the Kaleege group occupies a genus
to itself ; it is about the size of the common Kaleeges, witha
long curved tail, composed of no less than 32 pointed feathers,
in the male, which is of a deep metallic-blue with the tail pure
white and neck deep red ; the head is nearly covered with blue
bare skin produced into three pairs of wattles, and the legs are
red, The hen has a much shorter tail, and is brown with fine
black mottling. Young cocks have brighter red necks and short-
er cinnamon tails. The species is only found in the mountains
of Sarawak.

A curious genus of Kaleeges (Acomus) in which there is no
crest, and the tail in both sexes is folded and short, just like that
ef a common hen, may be called crestless Kaleeges. The hens
are black, and look much like black fowls without combs. They
all have red bare faces, and are about the size of ordinary
Kaleeges, ‘Three species are known.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 83

Malayan Crestless Kaleege.

Acomus erythrophthalmus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 283.

The cock is blue-black with fine white pencilling, a gold and red
patch on the lower back, and a chestnut tail, This bird
Ee the Malay Peninsula, South of Indian limits, and
‘Sumatra.

‘Bornean Crestless Kaleege.
Acomus pyronotus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 284 ; Singgier, Borneo.

This differs from the last by the grey neck, pencilled with
black, and in the white shaft-streaks on the neck and breast; the
hens of the two are alike. It inhabits Sarawak.

Black Crestless Kaleege.

Acomus inornatus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 285; Ajam mera muta, Sumatra.

As its name implies, this species is black all over, at least in
the cock ; the henis unknown, Itis found in Sumatra, on Mount
Singallan and the Padang highlands.

‘The Eared-Pheasants (Cvossoptilon) of Central Asia and China
are large, fine, heavily-built birds, of the size of Monauls, with
large tails, shaped much like that of a common hen, but with
the feathers peculiarly filmy and fringe-like ; the whole plumage
is more or less of this texture, and there is no sex-difference
in colour, though the males alone have spurs. The throat
in all is white and the cap black, and there are white tufts stand-
ing up like ears on each side of the head, whence the name of
the group. All have bare red faces and red feet. There are
only five species.

The White Eared- Pheasant.

Crossoptilon tibetanum, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,
Pp. 293.
This species has the plumage for the most part white, but the
tail is glossy blue-black. It inhabits high elevations in East
Tibet and West China.

84 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The White-tailed Eared-Pheasant.
Crossoptilon leucurum, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,
p. 294.
This East-Tibetan species only differs from the last in the male
in having the tail only blue-black at the tip, the base being white ;
in the female the dark parts of the tail-feathers are slate-colour.

It may ultimately be proved to be only a local race or variety
of the last. :

The Blue Eared- Pheasant.

Cyrossoptilon auritum, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,
Pp. 295.
Ranges from Kokonor to East Szechuen, and is mainly blue-

grey, with the tail white, tipped with black. It lives in mountain,
woods and lays olive-grey eggs.

Harman’s Eared-Pheasant.

Crossoptilon hayvmani, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,
p. 296.
Differs from the last in having more white about the head and

neck and hardly any on the tail. The only known specimen
was got 150 miles east of Lhassa.

Brown Eared-Pheasant.

Crossoptilon mantchuricum, Brit. Mus. Cat., Vol. XXII,
Pp. 294.

Inhabits the mountains of Manchuria and Pe-che-lee, and is
mainly sooty brown in colour, with the tail white, tipped with
bine-black. It has been fairly freely imported into Europe
and breeds well in captivity, laying pale stone-coloured eggs

CHAPTER VI.

Partridges.

With the birds ‘discussed in the last chapter
the series of pheasants comes to an end, and we
enter on the consideration of the various partridges.
These are, as was said in the Introduction, short-
tailed birds, usually much smaller than pheasants.
They fall into several very natural generic groups,
scme containing only one Indian species each.
There is some difficulty for the beginner in making
them out, for the males are generally plain and
much like the females, and do not present those
striking characteristics which make the various
cock pheasants referable to their proper genera
at once. But with a little trouble partridges are
not more difficult correctly to identify than are
hen pheasants.

Taking as partridges all the short-tailed game
birds with a wing over five inches long—under that
size they rank as quails—we find that they may
again be subdivided, as were the pheasants, by
the length of tail. All partridges have rather
short tails, but in some the tail is very short and
not a very noticeable feature.

Among the longer-tailed partridges, in which
the tail is more than half the length of the closed
wing, we find the Snow-cocks, the Snow-partridge,
the Bamboo-partridge, the Spur-fowls, the Chukor,

86 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

the Tibetan partridge, and the Francolins. Of
these :—

The Snow-cocks (two species) are easily distin-
guished by their great size, being a foot and-a-
half long, and bulkier than an ordina1y fowl. No
other Indian partridge exceeds fifteen inches.

The Snow-partridge is at once recognisable ‘by
having the front cf the shanks feathered _half-
way down, the only other Indian game bird with
this peculiarity being the very easily distinguish-
able Monauls.

The Bamboo-partridge has a particularly long
tail, only about an inch shorter than the wing.

The Spur-fowls (three species) have equally
long tails, but their eyes are surrounded by a bare
skin, unlike those of the Bamboo-partridges.

The Chukor is easily recognisable by its plain
drab upper surface.

The Tibetan partridge by the black patch in the
midale of its breast.

The Francolins (five species) include all the
other medium-tailed partridges. They may be
known by having no striking peints, so to speak ;
no particular length of tail, no bare skin round
the eye or feathering on the shanks; their backs
are never plain drab, nor have they a conspicuous
black patch on the breast.

To the section of partridges with very short tails
belong the hill partridges, the Green-legged par-
tridge, the chestnut Wood-partridge, the Crested
partridge and the Seesee, distinguished as follows :—

The Hill partridges (six species) by their. re-
markably long nails.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 87

The Green-legged partridge by a peculiar patch
of white downy feathers under the wing, just
behind the armpit.

The Chestnut Wood-pariridge by being mostly
of a chestnut colour.

The Crested partridge by the male being dark
blue and the female green.

The Seesee by its sandy colour and pele yellow legs.

In the present chapter I propose to deal briefly
with the Alpine Snow-cocks and Snow-partridge,
the Chukor, and the desert-haunting Seesee.

The Snow-cocks are very large grey birds, living
on the mountains above the forest-level, and feed-
ing on grass chiefly—there is not much else to eat
where they are found. Two species are found
with us. The cocks and hens are alike in plumage,
but the former alone are spurred.

The Himalayan Snow-cock.

Tetraogallus himalayensis, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 143.

NATIVE NAMES :—Kullu, Lupu, Baera, in
Western Nepal; Huinwal, in Kumaun ;
Jermonal, in the hills north of Mussoo-
tie; Leepin, Kulu; Golound, in Chamba ;
Gourkagu or Kubuk, in Kashmir; Kabk-
t-dara, in Afghanistan. The name Ram-
chukor is, 1 believe, used in Gilgit. It is
really the best one for these birds, which
are really gigantic relatives of the Chukor.

The general colour of this bird is grizzled grey
with some chestnut markings; the throat is white
with a chestnut border and the breast white with

88 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

some black bars; the pinion-quills are white with
broad black tips. The bill is horn colour, the
feet orange, and the eyes dark, with a patch of
bare yellow skin behind them. The hen is easily
distinguishable from the cock by her much smaller
size ; she is about two inches under two feet long,
while he exceeds that length by about two inches.
Young birds show some brown mottling on the
forehead which is not present in old cnes.

This noble partridge is found from Afghanistan
and Central Asia all along the Himalayas as far as
Kumaon. According to season it is found at from
18,000 to 7,000 feet elevation, keeping usually in
flocks, which frequent open rocky ground. It
breeds high up, from May to July, usually laying
five eggs, drab with reddish brown spots, and reach-
ing nearly three inches in length. The golden
eagle appears to spend a good deal of its time in
trying to catch these birds, without very much
success; for they are very wideawake, and the
human hunter finds a rifle the best weapon with
which to come to terms with them. And then
when they are brought to bag they are not good
eating according to European tastes, although
natives are glad enough to get them. The call
of this bird is a whistle which it keeps uttering all
the while it flies.

The Tibetan Snow-cock.

Tetraogallus tibetanus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, page 144.

NATIVE NAME :—Hrak-pa, Bhutia in Sikkim.

This bird bears a general resemblance to the
last, but is considerably smaller ; it has no chest-

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA 89 °

nut about the neck, and the breast is devoid of
black markings, but crossed by a broad grey band.
The most striking differences, however, are that
the under-parts are streaked with black and white
instead of being grey, and that the pinion-quills
are brown with white tips. The'cock and hen do
not differ much in size in this species, and even
the former is smaller than the hen of the Hima-
layan bird. The cock’s bill and legs are red, and
there is a red skin round the dark eyes. The
hen’s bill, however, is of a greenish colour, though
she appears not to differ in plumage. Young
birds, however, have only the throat white, the
breast being grizzled with dark-grey and buff,
and Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, our leading authority on
Game-birds, is disposed to think that the so-
called T. henvici is simply a young tbetanus.

This species is properly a Tibetan bird, but in
our territory it has been found in Ladak, Spiti,
Kumaun and Sikkim, always at a very high ele-
vation, being an even more alpine bird than the
last. All that is known about its breeding is that
its egg is like that of the Himalayan species, but
smaller. It appears to be a much better bird for
the table.

Three other species of this genus inhabit
mountain-ranges outside India.

Altai Snow-cock.

Tetvaogallus altaicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. Ilo. , ee

The Snow-cock of the Altai is most like the Tibetan, but has
a black bill and some white at the_ base of the outer pinion-
quills.

go GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Caspian Snow-cock.

Tetraogallus caspicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 108.

This is like the Himalayan Snow-cock, but has no chestnut
about the back of the neck, a grey breast, and is paler generally-
It inhabits the mountains from the Caucasus to South Persia.

Caucasian Snow-cock.

Tetraogallus caucasicus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. Log.

This species, found on the highest parts of the Caucasus, is
distinguished from the Caspian species by the chestnut patch at
the back of the head, and by the grey of the upper back and
breast being mixed with buff.

The Grouse-Pheasants (Tetraophasis) are big birds of the
size and shape of Monauls, but plainly coloured, with no sex
difference except the presence of spurs in the male.

The Dark-throated Grouse-Pheasant.

Tetraophasis obscurus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 102.

Ranges from East Tibet to the Kansu mountains ; colour dull

brown and grey, with outer tail-feathers tipped first black and
then white ; throat chestnut.

The Pale-throated Grouse- Pheasant.

Tetraophasis scchenyii, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p, 103.

Distinguished from the above by the fawn-coloured throat.
and greyer lower back ; found in the Central Tibetan Mountains.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. gr

The Snow-Partridge.

Lerwa nivicola, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, page 145.

NATIVE NAMES :—Lerwa, Bhutia; Jangu-
via, Kumaun; Quoir monal, Garhwal ;
Golabi, Bhaiy, Ter Titar, Bashahr, etc. ;
Barf ka Titar, Kulu; Biju, Chamba.

This is a much smaller bird than the Snow-cocks,
and in appearance and habits much recalls a
Ptarmigan. The cock and hen are alike in plum-
age, but the former is distinguished by possessing
spurs.

The head, neck and upper plumage generally
are closely barred with black and white, the latter
colour running into buff in places; the under-parts
are mostly of a dark chestnut. This rich plum-
age is well set off by the red beak and legs. The
eyes are dark. Young birds are less distirctly
barred and are mottled with black below. The
length is about fifteen inches, with a wing of nearly
eight, tail four-and-a-half, bill nearly one, and
shank half an inch longer.

The Snow-partridge inhabits the Himalayas.
from Kashmir to Sikkim and extends to Moupin
and Western China. It is locally distributed with
us, and is usually found at very high elevations,
close up to the snow, among stones and stunted
herbage. Its usual elevation’ is about 11,000 feet,
though in winter it may come down as low as 7,000.
It goes in pairs in the breeding season, and its.
chicks have been found late in June. Later on
it is found in coveys, and affords excellent sport ;
it is also remarkably good to eat. But as it is
commonly found on the same ground as Burrhel

Q2 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

and Tahr, it is usually neglected by sportsmen for
the nobler game. .

The Tibetan Partridge.

Perdix hodgsome, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 142.

NATIVE NAME :—Sakpha, Tibetan.

This partridge bears a strong resemblance to
the common partridge at home ; the cock and hen
are alike, and neither of them possesses spurs.
The plumage is an intricate mixture of buff, black
and chestnut, with the throat white and neck
chestnut ; the under-parts are white, barred with
black, which colour forms a patch in the centre,
and there is a black patch on each cheek; the bill
and legs are of a dirty green, and there is some
teddish skin round the eye.

This bird is about a foot long, with a wing of
Six inches.

The species is, properly speaking, a native of
Tibet, but it has strayed into our territories, one
having been got by Mr. Wilson in the Bhagirathi
valley, when shooting chukor in the autumn of
1841. It appears to be a bird of very high ele-
vations. Its eggs have been taken in Tibet in
July ; they were ten in number, and of a pale drab
tint without spots.

Prijevalsky’s Partridge.

‘Perdix sifanica, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 195.

Very like the Tibetan partridge, this species, from Kansu,
may be distinguished by having no black patch on the breast,
and by the admixture of chestnut in the black cheek patch,
which is also smaller; the bird is smaller altogether than the
Tibetan.

Copyright. L. Medland.
CHUKOR.,

Copyright. L. Medland.
BLACK PARTRIDGE, COCK.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 93.

The Common European Partridge.

Perdix. perdix, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 187.

This familiar bird is of a finely pencilled brown and buff above,
and finely pencilled grey on the breast, with the head buff, and a
chestnut patch below the breast ; the hen has this when young,
and then is best distinguished by having a patch on the flat of
the wing barred across with buff as well as streaked with this.
colour, the cock only having the central streaks. In addition to.
Europe, this partridge inhabits Western Asia east to North
Persia ; it has been introduced also into the United States.

Bearded Partridge.
Perdix daurica, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 193. f

This Partridge differs from the common species by having the:
throat feathers long and pointed, and the buff of this region ex-
tending right down the breast ; the “horse-shoe ’’ mark below
this is black, not chestnut. The hen has less buff and black on
the breast. This species ranges from Central Asia to North China ;
it is often exported frozen, and may be seen in the London

shops.

The Chukor.
Caccabis chucar, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 131.

NATIVE NAMES :—Chukar, Hindi; Kabk, Per-
sian ; Kau-kau, Kashmir ; Chukyu, Chamba.

The chukor is one of the group of red-legged
partridges to which the well-known ‘‘ French
partridge ’’ (Caccabis rufa) belongs, and much
resembles that bird. The cock and hen are alike.
in plumage, but the former may be distinguished
by having a knob or blunt spur on each leg.

Q4 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The plumage above and on the breast is of a
plain grey without any markings, with a tinge
of reddish in places and sometimes verging on
olive-brown ; the throat is white or buff, surround-
ed by a black band. The lower parts below the
breast are buff, and the flanks very beautifully
banded vertically with grey, buff, black and chest-
nut. The bill, legs and eyelids are red, and the
eyes themselves dark or orange.

The cock, which is a little larger than the hen,
is about fifteen inches long, with the wing six
inches and-a-half, tail just over four, shank nearly
two, and bill just over one.

The chukor has a very wide range, from Greece
to China. It is a lover of open hilly ground, and
with us is found on the Himalayas, in the hilly
parts of the Punjab and in the higher hills of Sind
west of the Indus. According to the country it
inhabits, it is found from the sea-level up to
12,000 feet, and in Tibet even to 16,000. Hima-
layan birds are darker and browner in tint, but
in Ladak, the Western Punjab, and Sind—in dry
open tracts, in fact—are paler and greyer. The
birds haunt open hill-sides among grass and scat-
tered bushes, but may also be found in more or
less wooded country and in cultivation. In
winter they go in coveys or even flocks, but in the
breeding season in pairs. The said season is from
April to August, varying according to the eleva-
tion ; for birds at high levels of course breed later.
The eggs are up to a dozen, cream-colour with
brown or lilac spots. The chukor is a noisy bird,
and its two-syllabled note has given origin to its
name. It is a fairly good sportirg bird, but not so
good to eat as some other partridges. The ancient

°
GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 95

Greeks, judging from a passage in Xenophon,
appear to have been in the habit of riding it down,
a sport which is still practised in Yarkand.

The chukor is a good bird for introduction
abroad where partridges are required, on account
of its adaptable contstitution. It was tried in
New Zealand, and bade fair to succeed, but the
birds were not sufficiently protected, and were
all shot off almost at once. It would hardly be
worth while to turn it out in England, as we have
already the very similar red-legged partridge there.
Indeed, I have been asked whether the two were
not identical. But the red-leg or ‘* French-
man ’’ at home is a brown-backed bird, not greyish,
and has a number of black spots bordering the
black necklace outside, and thus is easily distin-
guishable from the chukor.

Prjevalsky’s Chukor.

Caccabis magna, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 120.

This is larger than the common chukor, and has the black
throat-band bordered with chestnut ; the general colour is paler.
Moreover, it is a more silent bird, though occasionally uttering a
two-syllabled note of a hollow sound, peculiar to itself. It
inhabits South Kokonor, Tibet, and Tsaidam.

Black-headed Chukor.

Caccabis melanocephala, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 122.

Much the largest of the chukor genus, being as big as a hen
pheasant, this species is likewise distinguished by its black cap
and very grey colour, It is found in South-West Arabia, and
is common in the country inland of Aden.

96 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. °

The Seesee.

Ammoperdix bonhami, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 133.

NATIVE NAMES :—Sisi, Punjab and Sind;
Tihu, Persian.

This is a short-tailed little desert partridge, with
plumage beautifully adapted for concealing it
in its natural haunts. The cock and hen differed
somewhat in colour, but neither has any spurs.

The cock is of a grizzled sandy hue above
with a grey head and fore-neck, and the under-
parts below this pinky buff. There is a black
streak along each side of the head with a white
one under it, and the flanks are streaked with
black and chestnut.

The hen has no black and white markings on
the head nor chestnut on the flanks; the lower
plumage is barred with brown and buff. ,

The bill is orange, the eyes yellow or brown,
and the legs yellow. The cock, which is rather
larger than the hen, is ten inches long, with a
wing of five-and-a-half.

The Seesee inhabits hilly deserts, avoiding cover,
though it may be found on. grassy slopes. In
India it inhabits the Salt Range and Khariar
Hills in the Punjab, Hazara, and all the Sind and
Punjab ranges west of the Indus. It is also found
in Baluchistan, Afghanistan and Persia ; and has
been reported from Aden.

It has a soft clear double note, recalling its

name ; and is not usually gregarious, though small
coveys may be found in winter.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 97

The breeding season is from April to June, and
as with the chukor, the eggs may be as many as
twelve in number, but they are creamy-white in
colour without any spots.

Hey’s Seesee.
Ammoperdix heyi, Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 125.

Hardly more than a race of the Indian Seesee, this bird is dis-
tinguished by having no black band on the head, and some
chestnut on the cheek ; the hens are alike. The species inhabits
the countries bordering the Red Sea, and ranges to Palestine,
Egypt, and the Persian Gulf.

CHAPTER VII.

Francolins and Spur-fowl.

The partridge to which the above names are
applied form two very distinct groups, the Spur-
fowl in particular being very easily recognisable.
They are smallish birds, quite partridges in size,
but with longer tails than partridges usually have;
and as they sometimes raise these in a folded form,
they remind one much at times of small bantam
fowls, their resemblance to these being increased by
the bare red skin which, as in fowls, surrounds
their eyes. The cocks are always quite differ-
ent in plumage from the hens, and have two or
three spurs on each leg, the hens having one, two,
or none.

These birds are perhaps just as much miniature
jungle-fowl as partridges, but as they have not the
hackles or long tail of the jungle-cocks, they may
as well be classed with the partridges as anywhere
else, the various groups of the pheasant family
being inter-related in such a complex way that
it is quite impossible to arrange them naturally
in a line so to speak—a difficulty which besets
all classifications.

The Spur-fowl are only found in India and
Ceylon, three species being known; they all keep
much to cover and are difficult to flush.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 99

The Red Spur-fowl.

Galloperdix spadicea, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. r06. :

NATIVE NAMES :—Chota junglt murghi,
Hind. in Central Provinces; chakrotri,
kokatri, Mahrattas in the Syhadri Range ;
kustoor, Mahrattas of the Deccan;
sarrava koli, Tamil ; yerra-kodt, jitta kodt,
Telugu. ‘

' The ‘general colour of the male of this species
is chestnut, the female being mottled black and
buff ; the legs and base of the bill are red, as well
as the naked skin round the eyes. The cock is
about fourteen inches long, with a six-inch tail,
and wing exceeding this by half-an-inch, the bill
from gape is an inch in length, and the shank
nearly twice this. The hen is a little smaller.

This Spur-fowl inhabits the base of the Hima-
layas in Oudh, and is found in the Peninsula South
of the Indo-Gangetic plain wherever the locality
is suitable, for it avoids cultivation and open
country, frequently hilly forest land.

It varies a good deal in plumage, birds from
Mount Abu and the neighbourhood being paler,
especially the hens, in which the black pencilling
on the back is very scanty, and the ground-colour
pale and greyish. About Matheran and Maha-
bleshwar, also, hen birds are very lightly pencilled,
although the ground-colour is as rich as in typical
‘specimens.

This bird is shy and often solitary, a great runner,
and seldom seen on the wing ; the call of the male

100 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

is said to be well imitated by the Mahratta name
kokatri, being a kind of crow ; the general note is
a harsh cackle. It breeds between February and
June, and possibly again towards the end of the
year; three to seven eggs are laid, of a buff or
greyish colour. It is good eating in the cold
weather, but requires hanging for a few days.

The Painted Spur-fowl.

Galloperdix lunulata, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 108.

NATIVE NAMES :—Kaingiy, Uriya; Askal,.
Orissa and Singbhum ; Hutka, Gond in
Chamba; Kul-kok, Tamil; Jitta-kodi,,
Telugu.

This bird is slightly smaller than the last, the
male being little over a foot in length; it also
shows very little red round the eye. Its colour,
however, makes it easily distinguishable from any
other partridge like bird. The general hue is
chestnut, with white black-edged spots ; the head
is speckled with black and white, the crown being
glossed with green; the shoulders are also dark.

glossy green, and the tail is green-black, and the
breast buff with black spots.

The hen is of a uniform sooty brown, with the
head mostly chestnut. The bill and feet are dusky
in both sexes, not red as in the other species. ~

This beautifully-marked bird especially affects
rocky hills, and is somewhat locally distributed.
It appears not to occur at all on the Malabar coast,
nor in North-Western India, nor is it found in the

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 10I

Bombay Presidency, north of Belgaum, nor any-
where north of the Ganges. Although it occurs in
some parts of the Red Spur-fowl’s territory, it
does not extend so far to the west or north. Its
breeding-season is from March to May, and the
eggs, which are glossy and pale drab in colour, do
uot exceed five in number.

The Ceylon Spur-fowl.

Galloperdix bicalcavata, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. TV. p. Ig.

NATIVE NAMES :—Haban or Saban-kukula.

In size this bird is intermediate between the
last two, but has a shorter tail than either of them.
The cock has a speckled appearance, being streak-
ed above and on the flanks with white on a black
ground ; the neck in front is white with black
edgings, and the breast pure white ; the rump is
chestnut, and there is an intermixture of this
‘colour on the shoulders; the tail and most of the
wings are black, and the lower part of the belly
dark brown with pale spots.

The hen is of a dull chestnut brown, and both
‘sexes have red bills and feet as well as a red bare
‘space round the eye.

This is the only Spur-fowl found in Ceylon, and
it 1s confined to that island. Even there its range
is not universal], for it is absent from the dry north-
rn portion. Being like the rest of the group,
an inveterate skulker, and having a _ cackling
note, it is more often heard than seen. It breeds
from April to August, the eggs being cream-
coloured and usually only four in number.

102 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The Francolins are a numerous group of par-
tridges, mostly found in Africa; five species are,
however, Indian, and these include the most widely
spread and best known ofour partridges. They are
of. the typical partridge form, with tails of
medium length, and no bare skin about the
eyes. In all, the cocks differ from the hens either
in plumage or by possessing spurs ; these are always
absent in the hens. The Francolins are inclined
to affect cultivation, and are the best of our par-
tridges for sporting purposes,

The commonest of: all is— .

The Grey Partridge.

Francolinus pondicerianus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
‘ Birds, Vol. IV, p. 139.

NATIVE NAMES :—Titar, Ram titar, gora
litar, safed titar, Hind.; Khyr, Bengali,
Uriya ; Gowjal huki, Canarese; Kondart,
Tamil ; Kaweenju, Telugu ; Oussa-watuwa,
Cingalese.

The sexes are alike in colour in this species ;
the upper parts are brown, boldly pencilled with
dark-edged creamy-white bars. and the lower parts
buff with fine dark transverse pencilling; the
throat is buff surrounded by a broken blackish
band, and the outer tail-feathers chestnut. The
bill is dark grey, the eyes dark, and the legs dull
red. The cock is distinguished from the hen by
being slightly larger and by having a sharp spur
on each leg; he is just over a foot long, with the
wing nearly six inches, and the shank about an
inch and a half.

.GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 103

This bird is found almost all over India, but it
avoids swamps and thick forest, and does not
usually ascend hills to a higher level than 1,500 feet.
It is absent from Lower Bengal and from the
Malabar coast south of Bombay, and it is not found
east of India; westwards, however, it ranges as
far as the Persian Gulf.

It is most abundant where cultivation is inter-
spersed with bush jungle, and its harsh shrill call,
beginning with single notes, and continued in
tri-syllables, is familiar to everyone, for it is as
well known in towns as in the country, being a
favourite cage-bird with the natives. Some of
them like the note, but the great reason for keep-
ing partridges is the sport they afford as fighting
birds. So pugnacious are they, that I have seen
two birds let out of their cages near a lawn: which
had no idea of ‘‘ going to grass,’’ but flew at each
other straightway ; and they are commonly caught
by putting out a tame cock on a cage garnished
with nooses, in which his wild assailants are
caught. To make him call and challenge them,
he is blown upon, an act which excites him to the
greatest fury. Many birds also, at Calcutta at
any rate, are brought in as mere chicks, and reared
by hand. It may be that such specimens are the
very tame ones one sees following their owners
like so many little dogs, when let out; but pos-
sibly this partridge, like the chukor, can easily
be tamed when adult. Double-spurred birds now
and then occur, and are naturally preferred by
the natives for fighting, but I have never seen such
an one.

For ordinary sporting purposes, amongst Eu-
ropeans, this partridge is not much esteemed; it

104 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

is hard to flush, being an inveterate runner, and
when you have got it is apt to be dry and flavour-
less; the best time to get it in good condition is
in the early part of the cold weather. It has a
very bad reputation as a filthy feeder, but both
Pea-fowl and Jungle-fow!, when found near villages,
are by no means blameless in this respect, so that
very possibly the humble partridge is not so very
much behind his betters.

The breeding-season of this bird is an extended
one, for while it usually goes to nest between Feb-
ruary and June, many breed a second time be-
tween September and November; the eggs are
brownish white, and six to nine form the set.

The Swamp Partridge.

Francolinus gularis, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. I4t.

NATIVE NAMES :—Khyah, Khyr, Kaijah,
Bengali ; Kot, koera, Assamese; Bhil-titar,
Cachari ; it was formerly sometimes erro-
neously called Chukore by European sports-
men.

This species is easily distinguished from most
of our partridges by its large size and compara-
tively long legs; as in the last species, the sexes
are alike in plumage, but the cock is easily distin-
guishable by his spurs. The upper plumage is
brown barred with buff, and the outer tail-feathers
chestnut, as in the Grey Partridge ; but the throat
1s bright Tust-red, and the rest of the under-parts
brown longitudinally streaked with white. The

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 105

bill is blackish, the eyes dark, and the feet dull
red.

The cock of this species, which is a little larger
than the hen, will measure fifteen inches, though
his tail is only a little over four; the wing is
more than seven inches, and the shank two and-a-
‘quarter.

The Swamp Partridge, as its name implies, has
a habitat quite different from our other species,
affecting high grass and cane-brakes near the
edges of rivers and jheels, though it will come
into cultivated ground to feed. It haunts the
alluvial plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra,
extending from Pilibhit to the extremity of Assam
and Cachar, and even occurs occasionally on the
Khasi plateau ; but it is not found in the Sundar-
bans. Very little is known about its breeding,
but on two occasions five eggs of the species have
been taken in April; they were cream-coloured
and slightly speckled.

Owing to the localities which it frequents, the
Swamp Partridge is usually shot from elephants ;
but Blanford states that he has shot it on foot
near Colgong, in grass only three or four feet high.
He says it much resembles the common Grey Par-
tridge in its edible qualities, as it also does in its
call; and it is equally pugnacious. Mr. Hume,
in the ‘‘ Game-birds of India,’’ falls foul of his
artist for representing this species standing in
water like a wadmg-bird. No doubt the draughts-
man represented it thus in ignorance, but it would
be interesting to know if this, one of the very few
swamp-haunting birds in the pheasant family,
ever does voluntarily go into water in the wild

106 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

state. The keeper of the aviary in which a speci-
men of this species was confined in the London Zoo
told me that he had seen it standing in water.

The Black Partridge.

Francolinus vulgaris, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 135.

NATIVE NAMES :—Kala-titar, Hind.; Kais-
titay (the female) Nepal; Tetra, Garhwal ;
Vrembi of the Manipuris.

In this species the cock is spurred, and his
plumage differs conspicuously from that of the
female. His general colour is black, with a long
white patch on each side of the face, large white
spots along the flanks, and close white barring on
the lower part of the back and the tail. There is
a chestnut collar round the neck, and a patch of
the same colour under the tail; the shoulders and
most of the wings are brown marked with buff,
the markings following the edge of the feathers ;
the quills are barred with buff. The belly is pale
chestnut marked with white; the crown streaked
light and dark brown.

The hen is somewhat like the cock above, but
the barring of the back and tail is coarser, and
brown and buff instead of black and white. She
shows no black on the head or below, and no chest-
nut on the neck except at the back of it. She has
the eyebrows and sides of the head buff, the throat
nearly white, and the rest of the lower parts buff
irregularly pencilled with brown.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 107

Young cocks are more spotted with white than
the old birds, and young hens also are spotted on
the breast, not pencilled like old ones.

The bill is black in the cock and dark brown in.
the hen ; the eyes dark and the legs orange-red in
both sexes.

The sexes both vary in size, but the cocks are
the largest ; one will measure about thirteen and-
a-half inches, with the tail four inches and the
wing just over six; the shank is about two.

The Black Partridge with us inhabits Northern
India from Sind to Manipur ; its Southern boundary
runs south of Cutch and north of Kattywar, and
thence to the Chilka lake in Orissa. To the north-
ward it ascends the outer slopes of the Hima-
layas, following the river valleys, to about 5,000
feet ; Manipur is its eastern and southern limit,
but it has a wide range to the west of India,
ranging through Persia and Asia Minor even to
Cyprus. It formerly inhabited Greece, Italy,
Sicily, and Spain, and appear to have been the
bird known to the Greeks and Romans as Aitagen,
and much esteemed for the table. It has, however,
become extinct in these western countries, and is
evidently a bird which needs careful preservation..
This it well deserves, as it is en excellent sporting
bird, and very good eating; in fact, it is one of
the most desirable of all partridges. Its strong-
hold in India is the Indo-Gangetic plain and the
regions adjacent ; it especially frequents high grass
and tamarisk scrub near water and cultivation,
and often cultivated ground itself. It is generally
met with singly or in pairs. The male has a terribly
harsh call-note or crow, which he is fond of utter-

108 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

ing from an ant-hill. There is a pretty native
legend which renders the call as ‘“* Subhan, teri
kudvat,’’ but I have never been able to fit these
pious words to it, or any others. The Black Par-
tridge breeds from May to August, most birds
nesting in June; the eggs are fairly numerous, six
to ten, and drab in colour.

The Painted Partridge or Francolin.

Francolinus pictus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 137.

NATIVE NAMES :—Titar, kala titar, Mahratta :
Kakhera kodi, Telugu.

In this species neither sex possesses spurs, and
the cock and hen are much alike, though not indis-
tinguishable. It is rather smaller than the Black
Partridge. The cock is not unlike the male Black
Partridge, above, but very different below, being
so heavily spotted with white that there is only
enough black to separate the spots; there is no
chestnut collar round the neck, but the eyebrows,
face, and throat are chestnut. In the hen the
throat is whitish, and the bars on the back are
buff, and wider apart than in the cock. The bill
is blackish, the eyes dark, and the legs orange-red.

This bird occupies a territory south of the Black
Partridges, the southern limit of that bird being
the northern frontier of the painted species; this
becomes rarer towards the south, and is absent
from the Malabar Coast, south of Bombay, as also
from Mysore. Nor is it found in the Peninsula,
south of Coimbatore, although occurring in Ceylon
on some of the hills west and south of Newera

' GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 109:

Eliya. It is not found east or west of India. It
meets the Black Partridge on the boundary of
that species, and hybrids between the two are
occasionally found. Its general habits and quali-
fications as a sporting bird and table delicacy are
much the same as those of the Black Partridge,
and it may be regarded as one of our most desirable
Game-birds. It is more often found in cultivated
land than the other species, and also more fre--
quently occurs in dry grass land at a distance from
water, so that it would appear to be of a more
adaptable nature. Another detail of its habits.
which differs from those of the other species is its
partiality for perching in trees, whence the male
frequently calls ; he has a different and less harsh
note. The nest and eggs are much like those of
the Black Partridge, but the present bird seems.
to breed somewhat later.

The Eastern or Chinese Francolin.

Francolinus chinensts, Faun. Brit. Ind.,.
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 138.

NATIVE NAME :—Kha, Burmese.

The Chinese Francolin is intermediate in size
between the black and the painted Francolins ;
the sexes differ in colour nearly as conspicuously
as those of the black species, and the male alone
possesses spurs. His general colour is black, spotted
with white, the spots becoming broad bars on the
belly. The top of the head is brown with pale
edges and black forehead and eyebrows; there is
another black band from the corner of the mouth
to below the ears, and between this and the eye-

110 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

brow a white streak covers the side of the face,
the throat also being white. The lower back is
black with close narrow white bars ; under the tail
is a chestnut patch, and the shoulder-feathers and
innermost wing—dquills are edged with chestnut
and have the spots buff.

The hen is brown above, with a pale mottling ;
the lower back is barred with buff and brown ; the
chin and throat dirty white, and the under-
parts below this buff barred with dark brown,
and plain chestnut under the tail. On the head
the eyebrows and cheek-stripes are brown and
the light band buff.

The beak is dark brown, eyes light hazel, and
legs orange.

This Francolin is found, in our Indian empire,
only in certain parts of Burma and in Karennee.
It is common in certain localities, ncrth of Prome,
in the Irrawaddy valley, and has also been ob-
tained in Toungoo and the Thoungyen valley.
‘Outside Burma it inhabits South China, Cochin
China and Siam. Its general habits resemble
those of the two previous species ; it haunts forest
clearings and waste land, and is also found in
bamboo jungle. In Burma it breeds in June and
July ; as many as eight eggs may be laid, and
they are pale buff in colour.

Large-billed Francolin.

Rhizothera longirostvis, Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds,
Vol. XXII, p, 183.

This peculiar Partridge, which ranges from the south of the
Malay Peninsula to Borneo, is at once recognisable by its large
bill, which is big enough for a Peacock, though the bird is of

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. III

the ordinary Partridge size, about fourteen inches long. Both
sexes are spurred. The cock is mottled with brown, black, and
buff above, mixed with grey on the lower back ; the face and the
back are chestnut, the neck and breast grey, the abdomen deep
buff; the hen has less grey on the back and a chestnut breast.

Hose’s Large-billed Francolin.
Rhizothera dulitensis, OGILVIE Grant, Game-birds,
(Vol. I, p. 142. — :

This race, from Mount Dalit, in Borneo, has the grey extending
further down the breast in the male, and the abdomen white.
The hen is richer and darker in tint than that of longivostris,

CHAPTER VIII.

The Forest Partridge.

The Partridges which remain to be dealt with
are pre-eminently forest birds, never going far
from cover, and often perching. Most of them
have very short tails, but one, the Bamboo Par-
tridge, has the tail longer than in any other Indian
species, so as rather to recall a small pheasant in
appearance.

The Bamboo Partridge.
Bambusicola fytchit, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. IIo.

This Partridge shows no difference in plumage
according to sex; the male has a spur on each
shank, but this may be present in the female also.
The plumage is brown above, spotted with chest-
nut for the most part ; the face is buff, with a dark
band behind the eye; the breast dull chestnut
with some white spots, and the under-parts below
this buff, with large black spots shaped like a
heart. The tail is barred brown and buff, and
the pinion quills are chestnut without bars. The
bill is brown, the eyes orange-hazel, and the legs

grey.
This Partridge is about fourteen inches long, of
which the tail measures nearly five ; thus, it is easy

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. II3.

to distinguish it from any other species, the Spur-
fowl, which also have longish tails, showing some
bare skin about the eye.

The Bamboo Partridge affects forest and high
grass, and ranges through a considerable portion
of the eastern hill tracts. from the Assam hills:
south of the Brahmaputra, through Manipu:, to
the Kachyeng hills between Upper Burma and
Yunnan. It is shy and has a loud harsh call.
Although the time—May and June—of breeding
appears to be known, the eggs are as yet desiderata.

Chinese Bamboo Partridge.
Bambusicola thovacica, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 258.

This species, confined to South China, is mottled above with
brown, chestnut, and buff; the face, throat and tail are chestnut ;
the eyebrows and chest grey, and the rest of the under-parts
buff spotted with black at the sides.

Formosan Bamboo Partridge.

Bambusicola sonorivox, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 258.

This, the Formosan representative of the last species, differs
by having the sides of the face grey as well as the eyebrows, and
being darker generally. Its eggs are light brown in colour.

The various Hill-Partridges (Avboricola) form
an easily recognizable group of short-tailed birds
with rather long spurless shanks, and particularly
long, nearly-straight claws. The sexes are usually
alike, and they inhabit hill forests, keeping very
close to cover, aud occasionally perching. They,
are seldom if ever seen, and little is known about
their breeding, except that they lay half-a-dozen.

H

114 GAME BIRDS. OF INDIA AND ASIA.

or more white eggs on the ground. Their call is
a low soft whistle, and they are unobtrusive birds
altogether ; yet they are a well represented group
with us, numbering no less than six species, none
of which, however, are found in Southern India or
Ceylon. An interesting point about these par-
tridges is that they possess a row of small separate
bones along the upper edge of the orbit, a sort of
bony eyebrow in fact. No other bird of this family
possesses them, although they occur in some other
groups, the Trumpeters (Psophiid@) of South Amer-
ica and the partridge-like Tinamous (Tinamidea)
of the same continent. The general plan of colour-
ation of the Indian Arboricolas is very similar, all
having olive-brown backs, mottled with black,
and grey flanks boldly spotted with white, and
usually with chestnut edgings.

The Common Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola torqueola, Fauna Brit. Ind., Bi
Vol. IV, p. 125. oes

NATIVE NAMES :—Peura, Ban-titar, Hindi,
of Kumaun and Nepal; Roli, Ram
chukru, in Chamba ; Kaindal, Kangra ; Ko-
hum-pho, Lepcha. .

This is the only species of Arboricola in which
the sexes are different. The male has the head
bright-chestnut above and of a paler shade of the
same colour over and behind the ear coverts: the
eyebrows, sides of the head, and throat are black
with white edgings at the sides, and there is a
white moustache-streak. The breast is grey,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 115

separated from the black throat by a white band.
The skin surrounding the eye is scarlet.

In the hen the crown is brown with black streaks,
the sides of the head and the throat are chestnut
with black spots; the breast is brownish, and has
a Tusty band above it; and the white spots on the
flanks tend to run up to the breast, and are larger.
However, old hens lose the breast spots, and
young cocks possess them. Hens and young
cocks have the skin round the face purplish-red.
In all, the bill is black and the legs flesh-grey.

This partridge is a little under a foot long, witha tail
of only three inches, and a shank nearly two. The
wing is six inches long. Males run larger than females.

The common hill-partridge is found at moder-
ate elevations along the Himalayas from Chamba
to east of Sikkim, and also in the Naga hills and
in those north of Manipur. It ranges from 5,000
to 14,000 feet, but its common range does not go
above ‘9,000. South of Manipur. it is replaced by
a race (A. batemani) with the chestnut and black
band from the ear-coverts extending all down the
sides of the neck instead of half-way.

Blyth’s Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola rufigularis, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 126.

NATIVE NAMES:—In Kumaun and among
the Lepchas this species seems to have
the same names as the last ; in the Daphla
hills it is called Pokhu.

This species, like those which follow, appears to
be a little smaller than the last.

116 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

. It has the crown olive-brown with black streaks,
and the eyebrows and face white, mostly speckled
with black. The throat is chestnut with black
spots, and below this is a band of plain chestnut,.
generally divided from the grey breast by a black
band. The pure grey of the breast and the ab-
sence of black bars on the back will distinguish
this bird from the hen of the Common Hill-Par-
tridge.

The beak is black, the skin round the eyes dull
dark-red, and the legs red.

This also is a Himalayan bird, ranging from
Kumaun to the Daphla hills, but inhabiting lower
elevations than the Common Hill-Partridge, since
it is found from the foot of the hills to 6,000 feet
only. It is also found in the Karennee and Ten-
asserim hills, and specimens from these localities
are usually without the black band dividing the
red neck from the grey breast. Four eggs of a
dirty white colour were taken below Darjeeling
early in July.

The Arrakan Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola intermedia, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 127.

NATIVE NAME :—Toung-kha, Burmese.

This is hardly a distinct species, merely differing
from the last in having the throat entirely black
instead of being only spotted with that colour.
It agrees with the eastern variety of Blyth’s Hill-
Partridge in having no black band across the chest.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 117

Tt is found in the Arrakan hills and North Pegu,
extending to North Cachar and the Naga hills,
and to Eastern Manipur, where it is common.
The eggs were taken in Manipur in May; they
were pure white, and six in number.

The White-cheeked or Black-throated Hill-
Partridge.

Arboricola atrigularis, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 127.

NATIVE NAMES:—Peura in Sylhet ; Duboy,
Dubore, Assamese ; San-batat, in Chitta-
gong.

In this species the crown is brown, running into
grev in front and chestnut behind, the feathers
marked with black; a double eyebrow, of grey
above black, is present, and the eye is surrounded
by a black patch; the cheeks are white, running
into buff behind; the throat is black, becoming
edged below first with white and then with grey,
until it merges into the grey breast; the grey
flanks have no chestnut borders to the feathers
in this bird.

The bill is black, and the legs orange or lobster-
red ; and the reddish skin of the face shows through
the feathers.

The White-cheeked Hill-Partridge extends from
Assam south of the Brahmaputra into the Naga,
Khasi, and Garo hills, Cachar, Sylhet, Tipperah,
and Chittagong. The eggs have been taken in
Sylhet on hillocks, at the foot of trees in dark and
gloomy places; as many as four occurring in a

118 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

nest. They are white, and measure rather over
an inch in length.

The Red-breasted Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola mandellii, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds,. Vol. IV, p. 128.

In this very easily recognisable species, the
head, neck, and breast are chestnut of various
shades ; the chin and throat being pale and uni-
form, separated from the darker breast by a white
band bordered below by black ; the sides and back
of the neck are spotted with black, and the eye-
brows are grey, meeting at the back of the head.

Nothing is known about the colour of the bill,
feet, etc. ; indeed, the species is a rare and little-
studied one, which has only been obtained from
the low hills of Bhootan and Sikhim; and once
from the northern part of the Goalpara district.
However, it is so distinct from all the rest that it
ought to be easily identified if met with.

The Brown-breasted Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola brunneipectus, Fauna Buit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 128.

NATIVE NAME :—Appears to be called Toung-
kha, like A. intermedia.

This is a very distinct form, with the face and
throat buff, the latter speckled with black, the
breast brownish buff, and flanks greyish buff,
with the usual white spots, but no chestnut ;
the white-spotted feathers are tipped with black.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 11g

The bill is black, the eyelids, the skin of the
throat, where this shows through the feathers,
and the legs, are red, the latter varying much in
intensity of colour.

This bird haunts the evergreen forests on the
eastern spurs of the Pegu hills, and also inhabits
the ranges east of the Sittang river as far as Tavoy,
as well as the Ruby Mines District. It has not
been often found, and so very little is known
about it.

Fire-Necked Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola avdens, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 210.

Known only from the Hainan mountains, this species is at
once distinguished from the rest, of which it is most like the
white-cheeked, by the orange-red colour of its neck and breast ;
only one specimen is on record.

Formosan Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola crudigularis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 211. :

This, a Formosan mountain-bird, is distinguished from its
nearest ally, the white-cheeked Tree-Partridge, by having the
upper part of the throat all white and the back with bolder dark
markings.

Sonnerat’s Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola gingica, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 213.

Only a single specimen of this bird has ever been obtained
and that from an unknown locality more than 100 years ago ;
yet it is easily recognised, being distinguished by the peculiar
marking on the neck, a black triangle above a narrow white
band and a broad deep red one.

120 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Rickett’s Hill-Partridge.
A. vicketti, Grant, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club, Vol. VIII,
p. xlvii.
From the Kuatun hills in Foh-kien, is like it, but has a white
forehead and eyebrows; very likely Sonnerat’s is only a
variety of this.

Javan Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola javanica, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,

p- 214.

™ The Javanese mountains are the home of this species, which
is grey on the back and breast, the former barred with black ;
the belly is chestnut, and the head also reddish brown, with black
eye-stripes,’and a black band down the back of the neck joining
a black collar.

Red-billed Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola vubrivostris, Brit. Mus, Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 215.

A rare species, from the Sumatran mountains, with
black head and neck slightly speckled with white, the breast
spotted black on white, and sides barred black and white;
the upper parts are barred black and brown. It is con-
spicuous by its red bill.

Treacher’s Hill-Partridge.
Arboricola hyperythra, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 217.

Only one specimen of this species is known, from the mountains
of North-West Borneo ; it is most like the Brown-breasted spe-
cies, but is all chestnut below and deeper black on the crown,
with the sides of the head grey.

Whitehead’s Hill-Partridge.

Ayvboricola erythrophyys, Brit. Mus, Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 218.

This species from Mount Kina Balu in Borneo is also very
similar to the Brown-breasted, but has the throat black in males,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. ‘121

and the black cap extending down to the eyes; young birds,
however, have a black-spotted brown cap and grey eyebrows,
and in those in an intermediate stage the eyebrows are chestnut
and the throat also.

Horsfield Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola orientalis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 278.

Horsfield’s Tree-Partridge is dark-brown above, mottled
with orange and black on the wings, with white throat and
eyebrows and drab breast; the sides are mottled with grey
white and black; the only specimen known came from the
mountains of East Java.

Sumatran Hill-Partridge.

Arboricola sumatrana, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,

Pp. 219.
This is another very rare species, inhabiting Sumatra. Its
nearest ally is the last, butin the present species there are no
white eyebrows, the black and white flank-markings take the

form of regular bars, and the general colour above is much
brighter brown, with bold black barring.

Roll’s Hill-Partridge.

Ayborvicola volli, Rothschild, Bull. Brit. Ornith. Club,
Vol. XXV, p. 7.
Is most like the Red-billed species, but has the bill black, the

crown brown, marked with black, and a large white patch on
the ears. It comes from Mt. St. Bajak in N.-W. Sumatra.

Henry’s Hill-Partridge.

Ayrboricola henrici. Oustalet, Bull. Mus. Paris, II,
P- 317-
From Tonkin and Annam, is like the Brown-breasted species,
but without the buff eyebrows and with the forehead chestnut
instead of buff.

122 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Campbell’s Hill-Partridge.

Ayrboricola campbelli, Robinson, Bull. Brit. Ornith.
Club, Vol. XV, p. 28.

From Tehém Valley on the borders of Perak, most resembles
the White-cheeked, but has the crown all black, and the buff
on the sides of the neck replaced by white, the white spots on
the flanks, on the other hand, being replaced by buff.

One partridge of this group found in our limits
differs from the true Avboricolas in not having
the peculiar bridge of bone over the eye ; it is also
distinguished by possessing a large patch of white
downy feathers under the wing, which is ordinarily
concealed, even when the wing is lifted, by the
feathers of the side.

The Green-legged Hill-Partridge.

Tropicoperdix chloropus, Fauna Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 129.

This bird bears a close general resemblance to
the other hill-partridges, but the brown of the
upper part is more closely mottled with black,
and the sides of the bodv pale rusty with black
blotches ; the crown is dark-brown, the eyebrows
also brown, with white streaks, and the face and
throat white, speckled with blackish. Below this
the front and sides of the neck are chestnut with
black spots, and then the breast is coloured brown
continuously with the back.

The bill is dark-red at the root and greenish at
the tip ; the skin round the eye purplish ; and the
legs pale-green. ;

This partridge, which agrees with the Arboricolas
in habits as in appearance, is found, locally, in the

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 123

evergreen forests all through Tenasserim down to

Tavoy, and on the eastern slopes of the Pegu hills.

oe Indian limits it has been obtained in Cochin
hina.

Charlton’s Hill-Partridge.

Tropicoperdix charltont, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 221.

In this species, which is found from Penang to Borneo, and is
suspected of occurring in Tenasserim, the legs are red, not green ;
otherwise it is not unlike the last, but has even finer pencilling
above regular black and buff barring on the sides, and a plain
chestnut breast.

There remain two very beautiful short-tailed
forest partridges, each of which claims a genus of
its own.

The Chestnut Wood-Partridge.

Caloperdix oculea, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 131.

In this bird the tail, though short, is longer than
in the Arboricolas, the toes, and especially the
claws, are shorter, and the hinder toe bears a mere
rudiment of a claw. The sexes are alike in plum-
age, but the male has short spurs, which may be
one or two’on each leg.

The plumage is very characteristic, the general
colour being a rich chestnut, barred with black on
the flanks, where also white bars may be present ;
the back is black, pencilled with white above and
with chestnut lower down; the wings are brown
with black spots, and the tail black.

124 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The bill is black, the eyes dark, and the legs
dull-green. The length is just under eleven inches,
the wing being nearly six, and the tail nearly three ;
the shank is nearly two inches long.

This is a forest bird, very little known, and ap-
parently one which Europeans have never even
seen in the wild state. It is found in the Malay
Peninsula, and extends into the southernmost part
of Tenasserim, where it inhabits dense jungle about
Bankasoon. A sort of local variety of the species
inhabits Sumatra.

I have ventured to call this bird the ‘‘ Chest-
nut’? Partridge, as ‘‘ Ferruginous,’’ the epithet
usually imposed on it, is a rare and clumsy word.

The Red-crested or Rooloo Partridge.

Rollulus voulroul, Fauna Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. III.

This lovely bird very properly occupies a genus
all to itself. It has a very short tail and rather
long legs, with feet of the ordinary size, and the
claw of the hind toe rudimentary or altogether
absent. A tuft of long hair-like feathers is found
on the forehead in both sexes, which otherwise
differ widely, although neither has spurs.

The male, besides the tuft of bristles, has a full
and large crest of loose-textured feathers on the
head, which is of a dark-red colour. The general
body-plumage is steel-blue with a rich satiny gloss,
changing in some lights to green; the wings are
brown, and there is a white band across the fore-
head.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 125

The hen has no crest, and is grass-green without

gloss, with chestnut wings and_ slate-coloured
head.

In both sexes the eyelids and feet are brilliant
red, the male has the base of the bill red in addi-
tion ; but in the female it is all black. This bird
about equals the wood-partridges in size, being
about eleven inches long ; the wing measures five
and-a-half inches, and the tail two and-a-half ; the
shank about one and-a-quarter. Females are a
little smaller than this.

This partridge has a wide range, being found in
Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Siam, and the Malay Penin-
sula, where it extends into the south of Tenasserim
near the Pakchan river. It is a forest bird, and
gregarious in its habits, being found in small
parties of half-a-dozen or more, comprising both
males and females. It is described as much more
lively in its movements than the Arboricolas,
running about like a quail, and not scratching so
much as the others. The note is a soft, pleasant
whistle. Nothing is known about the breeding
except that the egg is buff and about an inch and-
a-half long. This beautiful and gentle little par-
tridge would be a most charming aviary bird, but
unfortunately it is not much exported, at any rate
nowadays, and Rutledge, who imported the first
into Calcutta many years ago, told me that the
late. ex-King of Oudh was much pleased with them
and bought them at a high price, naming them
‘* The King’s Fancy.’’ The name ‘‘ Rooloo’’ is
that by which Rutledge called these birds, and I
presume it is the native name in some parts of the
Far East.

126 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Black Wood-Partridge.
Melanoperdix nigra, Brit. Mus, Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 227.

This partridge bears a general resemblance to the last but
has no crest or bristles on the head, and a very thick bill. The
colour is very different, the cock being all black, and the hen
chestnut, variegated with black. It ranges from the Wellesley
Province to Borneo.

CHAPTER IX,

Quails.

THE partridges being now disposed of, we come
to the quails, under which heading, as I said in the
introducticn, are included all the smallest members
of the pheasant family, having the closed wing
under five inches in length. The term, like ‘‘teal,’’
among the ducks, is somewhat conventional, for
just as some small ducks, such as the whistlers,
are called ‘‘teal,’’ though their relationship to the
proper teal is obviously small, so some of the
*‘quails’’ are evidently tiny partridges rather
than close allies of the typical quails. Whatever
their real relationships may be, the ten little game
birds which are popularly known as quails are
separable as follows :—

The Mountain quail by having the tail well-dev-
eloped, nearly as long as the closed wing ; other
quails having very short tails.

The Stout-billed Bush-quails (2 species) by their
thick, short bills, and short but well-formed tails
about half as long as the wing.

The Slight-billed Bush-quails (4 species) by having
ordinary bills and well-formed tails about two-
thirds as long as the wing.

The Typical quails (3 species) by having no no-
ticeable tail at all, the tail feathers being not only
less than half as long as the wing, but so soft that

128 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

they are not easily distinguished from the ordinary
plumage of the rump.

It should be noted that the so-called Button-
quails or Bustard-quails do not belong to the pheas-
ant family at all, but form a curious little group
of their own, the Hemipodes, which will be dealt
with at the close of this series’ They have the same
soft tails as the typical quails, but differ from them
and from all other Phasionide in having no hind-
toe,* no web at the base of the toes, and only a
single row of scales down the front of the shank.
The head has also a quite different expression from
that of ordinary quails, the bill being longer and the
eyes yellowish white.

The typical or soft-tailed quails fall into two
sections, one containing the Common, Japanese
and Rain quails, with the sexes not very different
and about a dozen feathers in the tail, and the
other the little Painted Quail, in which the male
and female are extremely unlike and there are only
eight tail feathers. The plumage in these quails
is marked conspicuously with light streaks above,
and there is no spur in either sex, though this does
not prevent the males from fighting furiously.
They live always on the ground, and are more or
less migratory.

* The Australian Plain-Wanderer (Pedionomus torguatus) has a hind-
toe and some other Australian Hemipodes have short stout bills, but the
above characters will diagnose all Indian species,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 129

The Common Quail.

Coturnix communis, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV., p. 114.

NATIVE NAMES.—Bater, Bara bater, Gagus
bater, Hind.; Bataivo, in Sind; Batrz,
Bengali; Gundri, Uriya; Sotpol, Mani-
puri; Botah Surrai, Assamese ; Bur-ganja,
Gur-ganj, Poona and elsewhere; Burli in
Belgaum ; Gogari-Yellacht, Telugu ; Peria-
ka-deh, Tamil; Sipale haki, Canarese.

Both sexes of this species are much alike, the
plumage being a mixture of black, brown, and buff,
streaked with cream-cclour ; there is a conspicuous
cream streak down the crown and eyebrow-stripes
of the same colour. Below, the plumage is buff,
darkening into reddish brown on the flanks, which
are spotted with blackish, and boldly marked
with whitish streaks. The pinion-quills are brown,
with buff bars on the outer web. The bill and eyes
are dark and the feet flesh-coloured.

The male has the breast without spots, and the
throat dirty white with a dull black mark, shaped
somewhat like an anchor, the shank running down
the centre of the throat and the arms curving up
on each side. The female has the throat plain
whitish, but the breast is spotted with black. Al-
though there is a good deal of variation in tint in
this quail, Indian specimens are on the whole true
to colour, though some males occur with a rusty
ground-colour on the throat ; in Europe this, and
even the marking, is more variable : and this part
of the plumage may be entirely dark or rusty
brown. This quail is about eight inches long,

I

130 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

with the wing, which is longer in proportion than in
any other bird in the family, four to four-and-a-
half inches ; the shank is about an inch long. The
hens run larger than the cocks, though the differ-
ence is not striking. The weight is between three
and four ounces.

This is the most widely-spread and thoroughly
migratory species of the present family; it is
found over most of Europe, Asia, and Africa, breed-
ing in the northern parts of its range and moving
southwards in winter. Great numbers are caught
on migration and many must perish at sea; I re-
member, many years ago, I saw one poor little thing
try to board a ship I was on in the Red Sea, and,
striking the side, fall into the water. Another,
less utterly exhausted, was caught on board and
ultimately reached the London Zoological Gardens.
Most of our Empire is visited by this bird in winter,
but it is most abundant in Northern India, rare in
Burma, and absent from Ceylon and Tenasserim.
Some come over sea on to our Western coasts—Sind,
Cutch and Guzerat—but most cross the Himalayas
from Central Asia, and these arrive earlier.

Their distribution with us varies with the season
they encounter on reaching India. If there is
plenty of food in the north, most of them stay
there, but in years when the crops are deficient
there, they move southward to a greater extent;
moreover, in some years a great many more birds
arrive than in others. In the Calcutta bazaar
during the seven years I watched it, quails
only came into the ordinary bird-sellers’ hands
one winter, 1899-1900; then the men had plenty
of them, and they were reported as being unusually

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 131

common in Bengal. Ordinarily only one man in
the Calcutta bazaar had quails, and he got the
birds from up-country and kept and fed them
for months, being a resident and considerable
dealer, unlike the men who only came in the
winter to sell birds more or less locally captured.

The quails come in across the sea from the west
before the end of August, and about a fortnight
later the main body from the north arrive. At
the end of February they begin to draw northwards
again, and if the south of India has not come up
to their expectations, the north will be full of them
in March. Some will linger in the south for a time
as others had done in the north, but in any case
hardly any will stay behind permanently and breed
in India, .

They migrate at night as a rule, though stray
specimens may be seen, at sea at any rate, by day.
Mr. Hume describes how on one moonlight night
in April, a few miles from Mussoorie, a huge cloud
of them, ‘‘many hundred yards in length and
fifty yards I suppose in breadth,’’ passed over him
quite low down. That the quail is more or less
nocturnal I have little doubt. A specimen which
I kept years ago in my rooms at Oxford was quite
as active by night as by day, whereas ordinary
birds will go to roost in a room quite irrespective
of the artificial light of lamps or gas. For the
same reason quails are very unsuitable inmates
for a mixed aviary, unless they have a wing cut,
as they will get restless at night and fly up against
the roof, to the detriment not only of their own
personal appearance, but also of the peace and
happiness of the other inmates of the place.

132 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

A special place for quails, where these birds may
be kept for food, should, however, it is said, be kept
dark to prevent their fighting. The floor of a
‘‘quailery’’ should be well supplied with sand, and
fresh turf, white ants occasionally, and a constant
supply ot water in a small trough should be pro-
vided in addition to their ordinary fcod of millet.
Thus treated they will keep fat and healthy, and,
as many people know, be of the greatest use in the
hot weather. As they are even better to eat when
properly fattened than when killed wild, it is not
only humane but politic to treat them as well as
possible, as is the case with all other animals in a
state of captivity or domestication.

The natural food of this quail is millet and other
grain when it can get it, and at other times grass-
seed and small insects chiefly ; it feeds chiefly in
the morning and evening, resting in the middle of
the day. Here and there a few pairs remain and
breed with us, even in the East as far as Purneah
and south in the Deccan. These, however, seem not
to be of a resident strain or race, such as exists in
some other countries which quail also visit as
migrants, but birds which by some accident, have
been unableor unwilling to depart with the rest of
their kind.

Though the male has the reputation of associat-
ing with several females where the species is
numerous, he appears to pair with one only in
India ; the nest is a mere hollow in the ground,
usually with more or less of a lining of grass. In
India ten eggs appear to the largest clutch, though
up to fourteen may be laid in Europe.

These eggs are a little over an inch long ; and are
spotted with brown on a buff ground, the mark:

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 133

ings varying a good deal. They may be found in
March and April. In the latter month this bird
was observed to be breeding abundantly about
Nowshera in 1872, which was an exceptionally back-
ward year, so that the quail had evidently decided
in many cases to make the best of things where
they were and not go north, since they should have
all been out of India a month later in the ordinary
way.

Their haunts are in crops and the stubble of these:
grass, bush jungle, any low cover in short, and they
afford more good shooting than any other bird of
this family in India. Their flight is low, straight
and swift, and one has been seen to escape from a
harrier by sheer speed ; but then a harrier is not a
very swift hawk. They are often very unwilling
to rise, and I have been heard of one being trodden
upon, which is what one might call falling a victim
to a policy of laissez-faire.

The Japanese Quail.

Coturnix japonica, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 116.

NATIVE NAMES :—Udzura, Japanese ; prob-
ably called Ngon in Burma.

This species much resembles the common grey
quail, but both sexes of it have a richer chestnut
tint on the flanks. This of itself would not be much
to go by, but the male has the face and throat
brick-red, without any trace of the.dark markings
found there even in the rare reddish-throated
variety of the common quail ; and the female is still
more distinct, for although her throat is white like

134 -GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

that of the hen of the ordinary quail, the feathers
there are long and pointed instead of short and
round, and the outer ones have rusty edges. The
young males also possess these whiskers at first.

This quail inhabits Eastern Asia, Japan, and
China. It comes at times within our limits on its
winter migration, and no doubt often gets passed
over as a common quail. When Mr. Oates wrote
his excellent little work on the game birds of India,
two specimens were in the Bzitish Museum from
our Empire; both were hens, one coming from
Bhutan and the other from Karennee. The latter
had been procured by Major Wardlow Ramsay in
1874. Dr. Blanford, writing on the same subject
in the same year (1898) as Mr. Oates, stated that
he did not consider these specimens characteristic,
and thought it would be better to wait till a male
was recorded before including the bird as Indian.
Next year, however, Lieutenant H. H. Turner
shot another of the species in the Manipur Valley
in February, and submitted it to me for identifica-
tion with the rest of his Manipur birds. There was
no doubt that this bird was a Japanese quail, as
the pointed throat feathers were unmistakeable,
to say nothing of the richly-coloured flanks; the
specimen is now in the British Museum. Lieuten-
ant Turner states (Journal Asiatic Society, 1899,
p. 244) that he saw a dozen or so of the birds, which
were driven out by the firing of some long grass ;
thinking they were only common quail, he did not
trouble more about them. It would therefore beas
well to examine carefully all supposed common
quails shot in Burma. The ordinary species is
admittedly rare there, and very possibly this one
takes its place. At the same time, intermediate

Copyright. L. Medlance
RAIN-QualIL, HEN,

Copyright. L. Medland.
WHITE-CHEEKED HILL PartrIpGE, ia

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 135

specimens between the two species occur, so that
it must be expected that some will turn up which
cannot be fairly referred to either.

In its ordinary home this bird has the same habits
as the common quail, and its eggs are similar;
but the note of the male is different—a great argu-
ment for its specific distinctness. According to
General Prjevalsky, this note, which alone makes
this bird -easily distinguishable, consists of some
deep hollow sounds, several times repeated in quick
succession.’’

The Rain-Quail or Black-breasted Quail.

Coturnix coromandelica, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 116.

NATIVE NAMES :—Chota Batter, Hind.; Cha-
nac, Nepaul; Kade, Tamil; Chinna Yel-
lichtt, Telugu. For the most part, how-
ever, this species goes under the same
names as the common quail.

This bird is very like the common quail, although
a little smaller; but both sexes may be at once
distinguished by the pinion quills being plain drab,
without the pale cross-bars seen in the common
species. Independently of this, the male can be
distinguished by his brighter and purer colouring
below. His throat-marking is pure white and jet-
black, and bis breast a decided warm buff, with
splashes of black which increase with age till there
is a decided black patch in the middle. His bill is
also often of a decided black.

This quail is resident or only partially migratory,
and is not known outside our Empire. Within

136 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

this, however, it is very widely distributed, al-
though it has not yet been reported from Kashmir,
Tenasserim, or the Shan States; but its resem-
blance to the common quail no doubt often causes
it to be overlooked. It has much the same habits
as its larger ally, affecting grass and cultivated
ground, and shifts its ground locally according to
the rains, whence its name. Thus to Northern
Bengal, Oudh, Behar, the North-West Provinces,
the Punjab, Sind, and the open parts of Upper
Burma it arrives in the monsoon, apparently wish-
ing to escape from unduly damp localities. In
many parts of Central and Southern India the bird
resides permanently.

It is found in pairs for about half the year, from
April to October, and at other times singly. It
nests in India from June to October, laying from
four to nine eggs in a hollow on the ground, usually
unlined. These eggs are a little smaller than those
of the common quail, and are much speckled with
dark markings; the ground colour varies from
yellowish white to rusty.

I may mention that the species has been recently
bred in captivity in England by Mr. Seth-Smith,
a Member of the Avicultural Society ; this is inter-
esting as showing that this bird, naturally confined
to a warm climate, can nevertheless, like so many
such species, bear and propagate in a_ colder
one.

The note of the male Rain Quail is quite different
from that of the common quail, consisting of two
notes only, like ‘‘whit-whit.’’

°

GAME, BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 137

The Blue-breasted or Painted Quail.

Excalfactoria chinensis, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds., Vol. IV, p. 112.

NATIVE NAMES :—Khair-butat, Kaneli, Nep-
aulese ; Gobal-butai, Oudh; Ngon, Bur-
mese; Pandura-watuwa, Wenella-watuwa,
Cingalese.

This exquisite little creature is the smallest mem-
ber of the pheasant family found with us, and both
sexes are easily distinguished from our other quails
by their, very small size and bright yellow legs.
Above, both cock and hen are much like the com-
mon quail, with a similar intricate mixture of buff,
brown, and black; below, they are very different,
both from these and from each other. The cock
has a slate-blue breast, the colour extending more
or less on to the flanks, and a rich chestnut belly ;
the threat is boldly marked with black and white
somewhat as in the Rain Quail. The hen has a
buff face, and is buff below with more or less well-
defined black cross-bars. Cocks have red eyes, and
hens and young cocks brown ones. The legs are,
as above stated, bright yellow.

This bird is only about six inches long, with a
wing of about half that length ; it only weighs about
two ounces.

Small and fragile though it looks, however, this
tiny quail has a wide range in South-Eastern Asia,
from India to China and Siam. It also possesses
a hardy constitution, for, unlike most birds of its
family, it seeks rather than avoids wet ground.
Thus it is unknown in the dry regions of North-

138 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

West India, and common in the moister districts
of Bengal and Burma. Indeed, it migrates to
some extent in search of damp situations, arriving
in Lower Burma in May to be in time for the rains,
though in Bengal it is commonest in the cold wea-
ther. Its haunts are in rank grass on wet land,
and it is often found round paddy-fields. In India
and Burma it breeds in June and July, but in Cey-
Jon during the three months previous to these. At
these times it is found in pairs, but at other times
in coveys. The nest is in the usual hollow in the
ground, grass-lined, and contains not more than
half-a-dozen eggs, rather bigger than one would
expect such a small bird to lay, being about an
inch long. They are drab in colour, with more or
less of a minute brown speckling. Not much else
seems to be known about this little creature in the
wild state, but its habits have been carefully stud-
ied of late years by certain good observers, mem-
bers of the Avicultural Society, who have kept and
bred it in confinement in England. It turns out to
be a most interesting pet, hardly enough to bear our
English winters in an outdoor aviary, and a free
breeder if growing grass can be provided for it to
nest in. The cock is a most attentive husband,
calling his hen to take any tit-bit he may obtain,
after the gallant fashion ot the common fowl. He
occasionally utters a tiny crow, resembling a minia-
ture imitation of the ‘‘brain-fever-bird’s’’ note.
The hen is a prolific layer in captivity, and a good
sitter and mother, and the chicks are easy to rear,
and the most charming little creatures imaginable ;
they are literally not larger than the big black bees
we are all so familiar with in India, and they can
squeeze through half-inch mesh wire-netting! Al-

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 139

though they take almost as long to hatch as common
fowls, they mature with remarkable rapidity ; Mr.
Meade-Waldo, who was the first to breed them in
England, found that his young cocks, when only
just over a month old, had already assumed the
proper plumage of their sex, and were actually
crowing and calling their little sisters to feed!
It is therefore very obvious that, though this mini-
kin quail can hardly be regarded as game, it is pre-
eminently suited for a pet ; ordinary ‘bird-seed keeps
it well, with the addition of a few insects and
crumbled hard-boiled egg for the young.

The quails that remain to be dealt with all
agree in having distinct tail-feathers, though the
tail is still short and inconspicuous in all except
one species.

This one is the mountain-quail (Ophrysia super-
ciltosa), in which the tail is three inches long; of
the rest, the two typical bush-quails (Perdicula)
are recognisable by their short, stout, almost bull-
finch-like bills and their tail of twelve feathers, and
the slight-billed bush-quails (Microperdix) by hav-
ing a bill much like an ordinary quail’s and ten
feathers in the tail, which is more than half as
long as the wing.

All the above birds are rather miniature partrid-
ges than quails, bcth in ferm and habits, the stout-
billed bush-quails especially, in which the males
have a little knob on each shank, representing a
spur.

140 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The Jungle Bush-Quail.

Perdicula astatica, Faun. Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV., p. 118.

NATIVE NAMES :—Lowa, Hind; Juhay, in
Manbhum; Azuriconnai, Sonthal; Girza
pitta, Telegu; Kari lowga, Canarese.

The male of this species is brown above, mottled
and pencilled with black and buff ; the head is most-
ly of a bright chestnut with white eyebrows, and the
underparts conspicuously barred across with black
and white. The female has the same chestnut head,
but no barring below, the whole plumage being a
nearly uniform light brown.

The young have no chestnut on the head, and a
brown plumage streaked with buff above and
whitish below.

In all the pinion-quills are plain brown on the
inner web and spotted with buff on the outer.

The bill is black, the eyes brown, and the legs are
orange.

This, although a thick-set little bird, is decidedly
smaller than the common or grey quail, being only
a little over six inches long, with a wing of a little
over three inches and tail about half as long.

It inhabits well-wooded tracts in the Indian Pen-
insula, and alsoin the northern part cf Ceylon. It
is almost always in little flocks, from half-a-
dozen to more than twice that number going about
together, shooting off in all directions when alarmed,
but quickly collecting again. Their call is a long
trilling whistle, something like that which forms
so large a part of the song of the German ‘‘ Roller °’

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 14!

canaries. They live on grass-seed and insects,
and are themselves rather dry and not so good to
eat as the true quails.

They breed trom September to February, laying
five to seven creamy-white eggs about an inch long
in a nest of grass under the shelter of some bush
or tussock. Although so sociable in a state of
nature, they will fight in captivity, and are some-
times kept for this purpose by natives,

The Rock Bush-Quail.

Perdicula argunda, T'aun. Brit. India, Birds,
Vol. IV., p. I19.

NATIVE NAMES.—Lowa, Hind. and Mahratta;
Lawunka, Telegu ; Sinkadeh, Tamil ; Kemp
lowga, Kanarese of Mysore.

This species is very like the last. but is slightly
larger, and differs in a few points in the plumage ;
there is more buff on the upper surface, the head is.
dull brick-red with no white eyebrow ; the cock has
broader bars below, and the hen a whitish chin and
abdomen. But the chief difference is that the inner
webs of the pinion-quills are spotted with buff as
well as the outer.

This species, like the last, is a bird of the Indian
Peninsula, but has a more restricted range, nor is it
found in Ceylon. It also affects more open and
drier county, chiefly inhabiting sandy or rocky
ground with scanty vegetation ; its nest and eggs
are like those of its ally, as are its general habits ;

it breeds in August and September and also in
March. i

142 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The slight-billed bush-quails, with longer tails
and shorter wings than the above two species, and
without spur-rudiments in the males, nevertheless
closely resemble them in habits.

The Painted Bush-Quail.

Microperdix erythrorhynchus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV., p. 121.

NATIVE NAME :—Kodat, Tamil.

The general colour of this bird is brown, warming
into chestnut below, and distinctly spotted with
black, the spots being especially large and bordered
with white on the flanks and under the tail. The
head of the cock is curiously marked with black
and white, the chin, crown, and a patch round the
eyes being black, while the throat and a band along
each side-of the head are white, the former having
a black border ; the hen’s face is dull reddish, with
no black and white markings. The legs and bill
are bright red, a point which at once distinguishes
this species and the next from all our other quails.
Young birds are like the hen, but have the black
crown, which is nearly or quite absent in females.

The cock, which is a little larger than the hen,
is seven inches long, with a wing of three-and-a-half
inches and a two-inch tail.

This bird haunts the forests on and near the West-
ern Ghauts, and is also common on the Nilgiris,
while it has been obtained on the Shevaroys. Its
call is different from that of the stout-billed bush
quail, and it flies less noisily, being a softer-feathered

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 143

bird. The breeding season varies, being from Aug-
ust to April according to local circumstances ; the
eggs are simply laid on the ground, are pale glossv
cream-colour, and measure a little over an inch in
length.

Blewitt’s Bush-Quail.

Microperdix blewitit, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 122.

NATIVE NAME :—Sirsi lawa, in the Central
Provinces.

This is hardly a distinct species, differing from the
painted bush-quail only in being smaller and greyer,
with a distinctly smaller billand with more white
and less black on the face of the male. It inhabits
the forest region of the eastern Central Provinces.

Hume’s Bush-Quail.

Microperdix manipurensis, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 122.

NATIVE NAME.—Lanz-Sotbol, Manipuri.

One of Mr. Hume’s most striking discoveries in
Manipur, this pretty quail is very distinct in appear-
ance from all our species. Its plumage is slate-col-
our, mottled with black above, and buff below
the breast, this colour broken up into large spots
by black markings which form a cross on every fea-
ther. The cock has a dark bay face, which at once
distinguishes him from the hen. The bill is dark
horny, and the legs orange. ,

144 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

In length this species is about seven inches, with
a wing a little over three, and a tail of two inches.

Mr. Hume discovered this species himself when in
Manipur, and obtained nine specimens (all he saw
except two which were lost) after immense labour and
two days’ beating in an expanse of elephant grass
covering broken ground about two miles square.
The birds were in two coveys, and those shot were
found to have fed upon both seeds and insects.
A single bird was shot ten days later in the same
district, and there is a specimen in the British
Museum said to be from Sikkim. But except for
these few specimens, nothing more was known of the
Manipur bush-quail till 1899, nearly twenty years
after Mr. Hume’s discovery of the bird, when Captain
H.S. Wood, of the Indian Medical Service, presented
one to the Indian museum, and Lieutenant H. H.
Turner two others. Captain Wood, who had found
the species quite common in Manipur, afterwards
wrote an interesting note onit in the Asiatic Society’s
Journal for 1899. He had shot about eighty of these
quail, and did not consider them at all uncommon.
The native name means ‘‘ Trap Quail,’’ as the
Nagas snare numbers of them in nooses after jungle
fires. The birds breed in Manipur, and the egg is
large in proportion to the size of the bird, and green-
ish in colour with black and brown patches’; unfor-
tunately Captain Wood’s specimens of them got
broken in transit. He found the birds hard to see
except after the jungle fires from February to April
as they kept to dense cover, and even after a fire
their dark colour made them hard tosee on the burnt
grass ; they were always found close to water. The
coveys kept very close when running, and Captain
Wood has bagged as many as four at a shot.

GAME BIRDS‘ OF INDIA’ AND ASIA. 145

The bird is thus pretty well known now, and what
is chiefly wanted are birds in young plumage and a
well-authenticated set of the eggs, which would
appear from the description above given to differ
from those of the common painted bush-quail as
much as does the plumage of the parents.

Inglis’ Bush-Quail.

Microperdix inglist, Grant, Journ. Bom.
Nat. Hist. Soc., Vol. XIX, p. r.

NATIVE NAME:—Kala goondri, Goalpara
district.

This is hardly more than a local race of the last
species from which it differs chiefly in the reduction
of the black markings, which form mere pencillings
above on the grey back, and are narrower on the
buff breast. It was discovered by Mr. C. M. Inglis
in the Goalpara district, where it is plentiful, but
Mr. Ogilvie Grant of the British Museum considers
that a specimen said to have been procured in the
Bhutan Dooars and received from the Calcutta
Museum in 1893 belongs probably to this race.

The Mountain Quail.

Ophrysia superciliosa, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 105.

The Mountain quail—so called, for it is the least
quail-like of all these little birds—is rather larger
than the common grey quail, with a decidedly long
tail for a bird of the kind, this appendage being fully
as long as or longer than any ordinary partridge’s,
although all but covered above and below by the

K

146 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

long tail-coverts. The general feathering is also of
a long type, but the wings are decidedly short, and
the colouring will at once distinguish the bird from
any other of the family. The cock and hen, though
neither is brilliantly coloured, are absolutely unlike
each other, the former being slate-grey, tinged with
olive above, and with black edgings to the sides of
the feathers, a black head streaked with white, and
black under-tail-coverts spotted with white; while
the latter is brown, spotted with black centres to
the feathers and the face a sort of pinkish grey.

Remnants of the young plumage on some speci-
mens in the British Museum seem to show that both
sexes when young have a garb of closely mottled
black, brown and buff, so that they might easily be
passed over as of no particular account if the com-
paratively large tail were not noticed.

The bill is red, bright coral in the male and dusky
in the female, and the legs are dull red. Ina pair
kept in England the bill and legs were yellow. The
length is about ten inches, with the tail three, the
wing being only three and-a-half, and the shank one.

The mountain quail was described in 1846 by J. E.
Gray from living specimens in the fine collection
of the Earl of Derby at Knowsley Hall, and he gave
the locality as ‘‘India” with a query. Nothing
more was heard of it till 1865, when Kenneth
Mackinnon shot a pair in November, in a hollow
between Budraj and Benog, behind Mussoorie,
at about 6,000 feet elevation. Again, in November,
but two years later, at least one party established
themselves at Jerepani, and remained till the sum-
mer of 1868; and five specimens were procured.
Then, in December 1876, Major G. Carwithen got

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 147

one bird on the eastern slopes of Sher-ka-danda,
close to Naini Tal, at an elevation of 7,000 feet.
No specimens have turned up since. It seems to be
a migratory bird, arriving in winter, although its
small wings look ill-adapted for a journey of any
length. It goes in single pairs or coveys, and keeps
close to cover in grass jungle or brushwood, being
almost impossible to flush without a dog. Its flight
is heavy, slow, and short; its food, grass seeds.
The call is a shrill whistle. Anyone coming across
these birds again should do his best to secure a living
pair or two, and either breed from them himself—
which could probably be done in the hills in a well-
grassed run—or send them Home to the London
Zoological Gardens or down tothe Calcutta Gardens.
In this way eggs might be obtained, whereas we are
likely to wait a long time for them if we look to the
discovery of a nest in the wild state in the case of
such a rare and erratic bird as this one appears to
be.

The true Grouse (Tetvaonine) though none of them: are found
in Indian limits, are most important game-birds in Northern
and Central Asia. They differ from Pheasants and Partridges
chiefly in having the toes either feathered or, if naked, as is more
often the case, fringed with narrow scales, so as to increase the
bearing-surface of the foot. They never have spurs, their legs
are always more or less feathered, and so is the covering of the
nostrils ; and in all Old-World species there is a red comb over
the eye, greatly distended in the males in the breeding-season.
The wings are rather longer than is usualin the Pheasant family,
and Grouse fly better than most of these ; but there is so little
difference in general structure and habits that the separation of
the Grouse as a distinct family from the Pheasants and Partridge
is not justifiable, though usual in books. Several species of
‘Grouse have hybridised with members of the Pheasant group,
whereas hybrids between truly distinct families of birds are quite
unknown.

Of the forest-grouse, which perch much, and have the legs
feathered, but the toes bare and fringed with scales, Asia has
the following species :—

148 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Blackgame.

Lyvurus tetvix, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, p. 55-

NATIVE NAMES :—Tetereff for the cock and Kosach for
the hen, in Russian.

The male, or Blackcock, is about as big as a Pheasant, glossy
blue-black in colourexcept for a white bar on the wing and a
white patch under the tail, the tail being strongly forked. The
female or grey hen is smaller ; with a shorter but still forked tail,
and brown plumage barred across with black. This species
ranges from Great Britain east at least as far as Manchuria;
it is polygamous, and collects in the spring at certain play-places,
showing off on thé ground, the hen lays in May six to twelve
pale buff eggs well speckled with chocolate.

Caucasian Blackgame.

Lyrurus mlokosiewiczt, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 59.

NATIVE NAMES:—Jaban tank, Persian; Pattmorek ,
Armenian; Kara-touch, Tartar.

Confined to the Caucasus Mountains, this species is distinguish-
ed from the common blackgame by the cock being entirely
black, with a much longer tail, and the hen having her brown
plumage much more finely and closely marked—pencilled rather
than barred ; her tail is also longer than that of the common grey
hen by about an inch. The eggs are paler than those of the last
species.

Capercailzie.

Tetrao urogallus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 62.

NATIVE NAMES :—Glouhar for the cock and Nopoluha
for the hen, in Russian.

This is the largest of the grouse, the cock being as big as a
small hen turkey, with a large pale yellowish bill and medium
length, rounded tail; the general plumage is iron-grey, brown and
black, with a few white markings, the breast metallic dark-green
The hen, which is much smaller, is very like the grey hen but
has not the tail forked, and is much larger, two feet instead ofa

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 149

foot and-a-half long. The Capercailzie ranges all across North-
ern Europe and Asia as far as Lake Baikal; in the Southern
Urals there is a very light-coloured race or sub-species, Tetrao
uralensis. This species is polygamous, like the Blackcock, but
shows off to the hens on a tree, not on the ground like that spe-
cles ; hybrids between them are not uncommon, and the cocks
are easily known by their intermediate size, slightly-forked tails
and metallic-purple breasts. The number of eggs and date of
laying are the same as those of the grey hen, and the eggs are
Similar but bigger. .

Black-billed Capercailzie.

Tetrao parvirostris, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p. 66

Occupying a range to the eastward of the common Capercail-
zie, from lake Baikal to Saghalien, this species is readily distin-
guishable from that bird by its smaller and black bill, blue-
glossed head, and proportionally longer tail, which has no white
markings. In the hen, which is very like the common Caper-
cailzie hen, the tail is also longer, nearly eight inches as
against barely seven-and-a-half. In Kamtschatka there is a
race of this bird (IT. kamtschaticus), which is distinguished by
having continuous bands of white on the upper tail-coverts
of the cock and the shoulders of the hen, where in the ordinary
bird there are only rows of white spots. ;

The Black-billed Capercailzie ‘plays’ on the ground like
the Blackcock, to which, as will be seen, it approaches in some
points of appearance. Its eggs are longer than those of the
common Capercailzie.

Spruce-Grouse.
Falcipennis falcipennis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 72.

NaTIVE NAME :—Aardka, Tungus.

This grouse, distinguished by the narrow, curved form of the
four outer wing-feathers, is of a mottled brown colour above,
mottled black-and-white below; the tail, except the centre-
feathers, is black with a white tip. The cock hasa black throat
and is darker generally than the hen. In size the Spruce-grouse
is rather larger than the common partridge; it is a bird of North-
East Siberia, ranging east to Kamtschatka and Saghalien.

T50 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Hazel-Grouse or Hazel-Hen.

Tetvastes bonasia, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, Pp.
89; Yezo Kai-cho, Yamadori, Japanese ; Riabchik,
Russian.

This little grouse, only the size of a partridge, has the legs
only feathered half-way down; its plumage is mottled with
a more or less greyish brown and black, and with much white
below, and it has-a distinctive mark in the tail, of which the
feathers, except the centre ones, have a broad black band
before the white tip, contrasting with the mottled grey of the
rest of the feather. The cock is distinguished from the hen
by his black throat. Ranging from Scandinavia across Europe
and Asia to Japan, this widely-spread grouse especially frequents
deciduous woods, unlike most of these forest-grouse which prefer
conifers. About a dozen yellowish scantily spotted eggs are
laid by itin May.

Mongolian Hazel-Grouse.

Tetvastes sevytzovt, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 93-

This species, which ranges from the Kansu Mountains to the
Hoang-ho, affecting conifer forests, can be distinguished from
the common hazel-hen by being barred with black all down the
back, not only on the upper part, and by the outer tail-feathers
being barred with white on a black ground.

The feather-toed grouse, or Ptarmigans (Lagopus) to which
-group the British Red Grouse belongs, are essentially birds of
the wastes of the high north; all, except the Red Grouse,
turn white in winter.

Willow Grouse.

Lagopus lagopus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XNII,
p. 40. Koropatka, Russian.

In summer this bird is of a pencilled reddish-brown colour,
richer in the cock than the hen, just like our Red Grouse in fact,
but with the wings and belly white; in winter itis all white
except the black outside tail-feathers. It ranges all round the
world in the high north, and in Asia comes as far south as the
Amoor. It frequents open bushy country, and packs in
winter; the female lays about a dozen heavily-spotted eggs
late in May.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. I5I

Rock Ptarmigan.
Lagopus rupestvis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII.

This is a more northern bird even than the willow-grouse, being
found in the high Arctic regions all across Asia and America and
in Iceland ; it is HM chosioreers a race of the well-known Ptarmigan
(L. mutus) of European mountain-tops. It is distinguished
from the Willow-grouse at all seasons by its weaker bill and
slightly smaller size, the closed wing of the cock being only
seven and-a-half instead of eight inches; and in the white winter
dress the cock has a black patch between bill and eye. In
summer the coloured parts of his plumage are much blacker
than those of the cock willow-grouse.

The eggs are very similar to those of the Willow-grouse, but
smaller.

ie CHAPTER X.

Megapodes and Button-Quails.

The family of Megapodes or Mound-birds (Mega-
podiide) are always acknowledged to be near rel-
atives of the Phasiantda, differing chiefly in their
long hind-toe and curious habit of burying their
eggs, which disclose full-fledged young. Only one
species is found in Indian limits.

The Nicobar Megapode or Mound-bird.

Megapodius nicobariensis, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 147.

In general appearance this bird resembles a large
dull-brown partridge, with very short tail and huge
legs and feet, of which the hind-toe is large and set
on at the same level as the other toes, as in a pigeon.
The claws of all the toes are long, broad, and nearly
straight. The wings, although of blunt and rounded
form, are larger than is usual in partridges. The
plumage is plain dull brown, redder above and grey-
er below, becoming quite grey on the head ; there
is none of the marking or pencilling usual in part-
ridges. The cock and hen are alike ; young ones
have no grey tinge below. The skin round the eyes
is bare and red. The bill is yellowish or greenish
and the legs horn-colour, becoming reddish at the
back; the eyes are brown. The length is sixteen

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 153

inches, the closed wing measuring nine and the tail
three, while the shank ‘is nearly three, and very
strong.

This species is confined to the Nicobars, and is a
very outlying member of its family, none being found
nearer than the Philippines and Celebes, while most
of them inhabit the Australian region. Its general
habits are those of a jungle-fowl ; it is found in pairs
or flocks, does not fly unless pressed, and readily
perches. Unlike jungle-fowl, however, it appears
to be a nocturnal bird. It has a cackling note,
and feeds both on small animal life and vegetable
food, being itself most delicious to eat, accord-
ing to Mr. Hume, who compares it to a fat turkey
and pheasant.

The huge eggs, which are more than three inches
long, and pink when new-laid, are buried by the
birds in a mound of vegetable matter and sand,
which they scratch up in the jungle close to the shore.
There their responsibility ceases; the eggs hatch
out by themselves in the mound, and the young
come out of the egg fledged and able to fly, work their
way to the upper air, and go off on their own acgount ;
they look not unlike dull-brown ‘quails,

In 1900 four of these birds were presented to the
Calcutta Zoological Garden by Colonel Anson, and
lived there for some time. These were hatched
from eggs which had been taken from a mound in
the Nicobars and brought up to the Andamans with-
out any attention at all, so that this species is hardy

enough in the egg. The young birds were reared
on ;white ants, and were very tame bi they came
to. Calcutta.

es
fies if

154 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The species or races allied to this Megapode which
are found in the islands belonging zoologically to
Asia. are all very like ours.

Cuming’s Megapode.

Megapodius cumingi, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,

Pp. 449.
This species inhabits the Philippines, Celebes, Palawan, Tojian,
the Sulu islands, and the little islands off the North Bornean

coast. It is darker than the Nicobar bird, especially where the
plumage is grey.

Sanghir Megapode.

Megapodius sanghirensis, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol,
XXII, p. 450.

Confined to the Sanghir islands, this Megapode is character-
ised by being dark brown below instead of grey; it is darker
than the Nicobar bird.

Bernstein’s Megapode.

Megapodius bernsteini, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
Pp. 450.

This characteristic race of the Sulu islands of the Celebes group
is also brown below, but the brown is of a reddish shade, and
the tail is dull black. . It is smaller than the species above-men-
tioned, the closed wing measuring less than eight inches.

In North Celebes and the Sanghir islands is found a very
curious and distinct member of the Megapode family, with no
near relations.

Malbo.

Megacephaton maleo, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. N XII,
P. 472.

This bird is about the size of a jungle-fowl, and the tail is
much like that of a jungle-hen; the feet are of ordinary size,
and the head naked, witha large rounded helmet at the back,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. ioe

black in colour; the plumage also is nearly black, being a very
dark brown, except the under-parts, which are salmon-pink.
The sexes are alike, but the young have a feathered head and
no helmet. This handsome bird does not throw up a mound
to bury its eggs in, but buries them in holes in the black sand
of volcanic beaches, coming for some distance from the forests—
where it usually lives—to do this, in the months of August and
September ; the eggs are over four inches long and of a pale
reddish hue.

Button-Quails.—(Turnicida).

I have already, in the beginning of the last chap-
ter, drawn attention to the fact that the Button-
Quails or Hemipodes do not belong to the Phastanide
_at all, not being true quails, and have pointed out
their external differences from the latter. To brief-
ly summarise the most striking of these differences
again, I may mention that the Indian Button-Quails
have no hind toe, and have, in life, distinctly yel-
lowish-white eyes, which give them a very different
expression. In general habits they resemble the
true quails, but the males are always smaller than
the females, and are altogether the inferior sex,
sitting on the eggs and taking care of the young,
while the hens are bold and pugnacious, fighting
like the males of the true quails, and not at all do-
mestically inclined. The Button-Quails can hard-
ly be seriously regarded as objects of spot, but they
are good to eat.

156 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

The Blue-legged Button-Quail.

Turnix pugnax, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, Vol.
IV, p. I51.

NATIVE NAMES:—Gulu, Gundlu, Salui-gun-
dvu, Hindi; Koladu (male), Pured (fe-
male), Telugu; Aukddeh (male), Kurung-
kadeh (female), Tamil; Durwa, Ratna-
giri; Kdre-haki, Kanarese in Mysore;
Timok, Lepcha; Ngon, Burmese.

This bird is often called the ‘‘ Bustard-quail ”’
in books, but the name is distinctly misleading, as
this species is as unlike a bustard as are the rest.

The general colouring of the male of this species
above is a complicated mixture of brown, black,
and white, more reddish in some specimens than in
others ; below it is buff, with a whitish throat and
black ‘bars across the breast. In the female the
throat is black, and the middle of the breast black
also to a greater or less extent. Young birds have
black spots on the breast instead of bars.

The bill and legs in this species are blue-grey,
and, with the barred breast, conspicuously dis-
tinguish it.

-The cock is six inches long, with a wing of about
three inches; the hen about half an inch longer,
with a noticeably stronger bill. In captivity I
have seen her eat whole butterflies two inches
across the wings.

This bird is found all over the Empire except in
the higher parts of the hills and in Sind and the Pun-
jab ; it avoids deserts and heavy forest ; out of India
it ranges east to China and Formosa. It usually

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA: 157

breeds in the rainy season, sometimes simply
laying in a hollow, and sometimes making a domed
nest. The eggs are usually four, greyish with red-
dish and brown markings, and nearly an inch long.
The variation of colour in this bird follows the cli-
mate it inhabits, the darkest and greyest specimens
coming from districts where there is a heavy rainfall;
these individuals evidently having a constitution
more suited for resisting damp. It 1s, of course,
possible that a damp climate may have a direct effect
on the plumage, but this could only be established
by keeping the reddish specimens from a dry tract
in an open-air aviary in a damp district, and observ-
ing if they moulted out greyer.

The Yellow-legged Button-Quail.

Turnix tanki, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, Vol.
IV, p. 153-

NATIVE NAMES :—Lowa, Lowa-butai, Hindi ;
Pedda daba gundlu, Telegu.

This is about the same size as the last species, but
is less speckled above and more inclined to a plain
drab; moreover, at certain seasons, the hens have a
chestnut half-collar at the back of the neck. The
underparts are buff without bars, but with black
spots at the sides of the breast. Young birds are
redder and more speckled above. The bill and legs
are bright yellow, with a black streak along the ridge
of the bill in males.

The bird is found all over India, including Sind,
but does not usually range above 4,000 feet in the
hills. In April 1898, however, Mr. Goldstein, the:
Chemist at the Chowrasta in Darjeeling, showed

158 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

me a live specimen he had captured there under
very peculiar circumstances : it was flying round and
round a lamp where he used to catch moths, and
he caught it in a butterfly-net

Its breeding time is in July and August in Upper
India, but in Mysore about April, and its eggs are
of a similar type to those of the last species.
Mr. D. Seth-Smith has bred it in England, and
finds the incubation-period to be only twelve days,
whereas the equally small Painted Quail takes
three weeks. The hen Button-quail is so masculine
in her character that during courtship she gives her
mate any tit-bit she may obtain, just as the com-
mon cock and some others of the true game-birds
do with their females! Moreover, she does not care
at all for her young, but eats the food they ought
to have.

The Burmese Yellow-legged Button-Quail.

Turnix blanfordi, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 156.

NATIVE NAME:—Ngon, Burmese

This is hardly a distinct species, but merely a
large local race of the last one, the females being
seven inches long as against the six and-a-half
inches of the Indian specimens. The plumage,
however, is distinguishable in adult specimens by
the greater amount of black barring on the back.
This species ranges from Assam and Chittagong to
China; of course extending through Burma

GAME BIRDS OF IND ANDI4A ASIA. 159

The Nicobar Yellow-legged Button-Quail.

Turnix albiventris, BLANFORD, Faun. Brit.
Ind., Birds, Vol. IV. p. 154.

This is another local race of Turnix tank, not
exceeding it in size, but more mottled with black
and reddish on the back in adults, and with the
female’s collar of a darker chestnut. It is confined
to the Andamans and Nicobars, and rare in the
former group of islands. ‘‘Species ’’ like this and
the last are really better distinguished by the Am-
erican system of ‘‘ trinomials ’’ so as to stand as
Turmix tankt blanfordi, and T. tankt albiventris.
While it would hardly do to ignore them, I think it is
rather absurd to give them full specific rank

The White-legged or Little Button-Quail.

Turnix dussumierit, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 152.

NATIVE NAMES :—Ghinwa lowa, Chota lawa,
Dabki, Tura, Chimnaj (in Muttra); Libbia
(in Purneah), Hindi; Darwi, Ratnagiri ;
Chinna or Tella dabba gundlu, Telegu;
San gundlu, Uriya.

This species is at once distinguished from the
others by its smaller size and lighter colour, besides
its funny little pointed tail, which is long enough
to be noticeable, while those of our other Button-
quails are not so any more than are those of the
typical quails. Above it is mostly chestnut mixed
with cream-colour, and nearly white below, running
into buff on the breast, with black spots on the sides

160 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

of the latter. Male and female are alike in cclour,
and the former is in this species not very much the
smaller. The bill is blue-grey and the feet fleshy
white. At times I have seen birds of this species
in the Calcutta market with blue-grey legs, but in
the case of such specimens the characteristic points
given above will afford a means of distinction trom
the blue-legged Button-quail. The hen is five and-
a-half inches long, witha wing of nearly three inches.

This bird inhabits most of India and Burma,
but not Ceylon, nor does it seem to occur south of
Mysore, nor does it range high up the hills. It ex-
tends eastward to Hainan and Formosa. Its breed-
ing seasou is from April to October, and the eggs,
laid in a hollow lined with grass, may sometimes be
as many as six. They are stone-coloured with a
fine brownish speckling aud larger spots of darker
brown, and measure about four-fifths of an inch
in length.

Philippine Button-Quail.

Turnix fasciata, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII, p.
535.

This is very like the Blue-legged Button-quail (T. pugnax)
of India, but has yellow legs and bill, and females are darker
with a very clear chestnut collar. It is found in the Philippines
and Palawan.

Celebean Button-Quail.

Ete FUELS: Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII Pp
536. al

This Celebean species also combines yellow legs and bill with
a plumage generally similar to that of the Indian Blue-legged
species, but the cock has the light barring on the chest white
not buff, and the hen has the throat barred black and white.
not all black. ,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 161

Whitehead’s Button-Quail.

Turnix whiteheadi, GRANT, Game-Birds, Vol. II, p. 276.

Only a few specimens of this little species, which is much like
the little white-legged Indian bird, have been obtained, near
Manilla ; it is distinguished from the above Indian species by
having the prevailing colour of the upper parts blackish-grey,
not chestnut and buff.

Chestnut-Breasted Button-Quail.

Turnix ocellata, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol. XXII,
p- 548.

This bird, confined to Luzon, is about the size of the larger
Indian Button-Quails, and has yellow legs and bill ; it is drab,-
mottled with black above, and has a plain chestnut breast and
buff abdomen; the throat is white in the male, more or less
black in the hen.

‘Sulu Button-Quail.

Turnix suluensis, MEARNS, Proc. Zool. Soc., Washinge
ton, Vol. XVIII, p. 83.

A female, the type of this species, obtained on Sulu in the
Philippinés, most resembled Whitehead’s Button-quail, but was
larger, brown in general tint above instead of blackish.

CHAPTER XI.

Sand-grouse.

The Sand-grouse (Pteroclide) have no relationship
to the true grouse, but form a separate family of
their own, very distinct from any other birds ; they
come nearer to the pigeons and plovers than to the
game-birds proper. They may be distinguished
from any of these by having feathered legs with
smooth-edged toes, the feather-legged true grouse
having, as has been said above,- fringes of scales
along the sides of their toes. Two Sand-grouse
have the toes as well as the legs feathered, like
Ptarmigans, but they may be distinguished from
these by having only three toes, the hind-toe being
missing. The Sand-grouse, however, are so unlike
any other old-world birds that they are not easily
mistaken. They have a small bill and head like
those of the true game-birds, but long-pointed wings
like pigeons or some plovers ; their feet are small,
and the hind-toe when present is always very small,
and of no use. Their plumage is close, like that ot
pigeons, and shows a general sandy hue in most
cases; the sexes are always more or less different.
Sand-grouse frequent dry, generally open, country
in Europe, Africa and Asia; they are often migra-
tory. Most of the few species are found in Indian
limits, where they are often called Rock-pigeons
by sportsmen. Their flight is high and fast ;
and their note usually a double or treble cluck.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 1063

They feed chiefly on seeds and herbage, go to
water twice a day, and lay their three spotted eggs,
which are elliptical, long and equally rounded at
both ends, on the ground without a nest; both
cock and hen sit on them. The spotting of the
eggs is in two shades, as in many plovers, where-
as those of the true game-birds only have one set
of spots. The young are active at once, like
game-chicks, but their down is of a different
character, being in tiny tufts, not uniformly
fluffy, and it is marbled in pattern instead of
streaked. In two cases at least the parents: bring
the chicks water by soaking their breast feathers
in it and then letting the young suck it off—a
habit unique among birds. Sand-grouse are,
generally speaking, of much about the same size
—that of a common dove, though two or three are
as large as pigeons. Beyond. specifying these,
therefore, [have not thought it worth while to
give dimensions.

The Sand-grouse occurring in the Indian empire
do not range east of the Bay of Bengal, they are
divided into three genera :—

The ordinary Sand-grouse (Pterocies) with short-
pointed tails (6 species).

The Pin-tailed Sand-grouse (Pteroclurus) which
only differ in having the two centre tail-feathers
long and pointed (3 species).

The Three-toed Sand-grouse (Syrrhaptes), which
are much-more distinct, having only three toes,
very broad, short and feathered like. the legs. (One
species). It is as well to begin with the Pin-tailed
group, as one. of these is the commonest and best
known of the family in India.

164 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Common Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse.

Pteroclurus exustus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 60.

NATIVE NAMES.—Bhat-titar, Bakht-titar, Ku-
mar-tit, Kahar, Hind.; Butabur, Batibun,
in Sind ; Popandi of the Bhils ; Pakorade,
Maharatta; Jam polanka, Telegu; Kal-
gowjalhaki, Canarese.

The general colour of the male of this bird is
sandy, mixed with grey above, and with narrow
chocolate tips on the small wing-feathers. The
breast is crossed by a narrow black band, and
below this the buff shades into the chocolate of
the belly ; the face and throat are pale yellow.
The hen is buff, barred with black, the black marks,
however, forming streaks on the head and breast ;
the abdomen is dark brown, barred with buff.
The long ‘‘ pin-feathers ’’ in the tail are shorter
than in the cock. The bill and feet are grey and
the eyelids pale yellow : the eyes dark, as in all
our Sand-grouse.

In dry open districts of the plains this Sand-grouse
may be looked for everywhere in India except gen-
erally in Bengal (though one once occurred even in
the Calcutta Botanic Gardens) and the Coast of
Bombay and Malabar. Its range extends westward
to Senegal. In India it is resident, and may be
found nesting at any time, though most generally
in the earlier half of the year. The eggs are greyish,
pinkish, or buff, with the usual grey or brown mark-
ings. Like other Sand-grouse, they are very regular
in their ways, drinking at from 8 to 10 in the morn-
ing and again from 4 to 6 in the afternoon, and rest-

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 165

ing in the middle of the day. Their note is a double
cluck, and, as with sand-grouse generally, is usually
uttered on the wing.

Spotted Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse.

Pteroclurus senegallus, Faun. Brit. Ind.,
Birds, Vol. IV, p. 6r.

NATIVE NAMES.—Nundu Katinga, Gutu, in
Sind.

The general colour of the cock of this species is
also sandy, with a buff throat, but his wings are in-
distinctly mottled with chocolate, and there is a
grey band along each side of the head. The belly
is dark brown, but there is no black breast-band.
The hen is buff, very distinctly spotted with black,
not barred.or mottled, as in our other hen Sand-
grouse. This species israre with us except in Sind,
west of the Indus, though it extends to the Punjab.
Westwards it ranges to Africa, even south of the
Sahara, and most of those found in Sind are only
winter visitors, though henshave been shot contain-
ing fully-formed eggs ; the eggs are-buff spotted with
pale, brown and grey. The note of this species is
different from that of other Sand-grouse, being a
sort of gurgling sound like that produced by blowing
through water.

Large Pin-Tailed Sand-Grouse.

Pieroclurus alchata, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,

Vol: IV, p. 58.
This is a large species, equalling a pigeon in size
and of remarkable beauty of plumage. The cock

166 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

is of a peculiar sandy olive-green above, scantily
mottled with yellow ; a patch on the wing is beauti-
fully coloured chocolate with narrow white edgings
to the feathers, and the lower back is barred with
black and buff; the throat is black, the breast buff,
with two black bands set far apart, and the belly
white. » This white belly and the buff breast bounded
below by a black band, are also found in the hen,
but she has two black bands on .the upper breast,
the higher much the broadest, and her upper parts
are buff, barred with black. She has a variegated
wing-patch like the cock, but this is black with
broad white edgings. The feet are dirty green, and
the bill greenish or grey.

This is a western bird, only visiting the north-west
of India as a winter migrant ; it is, however, very
abundant at that season, associating in bigger packs
than other Sand-grouse. It ranges westwards into
Northern Africa and Southern Europe, and these
most western specimens: are more richly coloured
than ours. Its loud triple note can be heard for
a long distance, and it is a very noisy bird.

Black-Bellied Sand-Grouse.

Pterocles arenarius, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 54.

NATIVE NAMES.—Bhat titar, Bakht, Bakht-
titar, Hind. ; Banchurat, Peshawar ; Burra
Bhutta in Hurriana; Katinga, in Sind.

Equalling a good large pigeon in size, this fine
sand-grouse is also distinguished by very striking
colouring ; the cock is mottled with slate and yellow
on the back, has a chestnut throat and neck, mark-

Copyright, L. Medland.
BLACK-BELLIED SAND-GROUSE, COCK.

Copyright. L, Medland.
BLACK-BELLIED SAND-GROUSE, HEN.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 167

ed with a black patch, and contrasting with the
grey head and breast ; the breast is bordered below
by a narrow black band, below which is a broad
belt of cream-colour, the rest of the under-parts
being black. The same black under-parts preceded
by a cream belt are found in the hen, but her general
plumage is very different, being buff, mottled with
black. The bill and feet are grey, and the eyelids
yellow.

The Black-bellied Sand-grouse is only a winter
bird in India, and especially affects the extreme
north-west, associating in enormous numbers on
large sandy plains. Outside India it ranges west
through Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe,
to the Canary Islands. It only breeds west of India
as far as is known, though eggs have been taken
as near as Southern Afghanistan in May; they are
dull light buff, marked with light brown and dull
lilac.

Coronetted Sand-Grouse.

Pterocles coronatus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 57.

This species, only found with us in Sind west of
the Indus, is very like the spotted Pin-tailed Sand-
grouse in general appearance, but has not the long
centre tail-feathers; the cock also has’ black marks
on face and throat, and the hen is barred rather
than spotted. Outside India this bird extends
west to North-East Africa : eggs have been taken to
Afghanistan, and are greyish white, scantily spotted
with pale brown.

168 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Painted Sand-Grouse.

Pterocles fasciatus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 55.

NATIVE NAMES.—Pahari bhat titar, Hind. in
the North-West Provinces ; Palki in Bel-
gaum ; Handevi in Southern India; Kal-
gowjalhaki, Canarese of Mysore; Sonda-
polanka, Tamil.

This and the next differ from our other Sand-
grouse in being less gregarious, frequenting less
open country, and being rather nocturnal, coming
to water before dawn and after dark. They would
really have more right to be put in a separate genus
than the Pin-tailed kinds. This small species is
very distinctly and beautifully marked in the case
of the male, which is broadly barred above with
chocolate, slate and buff; the head is peculiarly
marked, the forehead being white, followed by a
large black patch, then by white again, while the
rest is buff, streaked with black. The neck and
breast are plain buff, bordered by a chocolate band ;
this is followed by a broad cream-coloured belt,
bordered below by black ; the belly is barred black
and buff.

The hen is buff, finely barred with black both
above and below, the barring extending even to
the leg-feathering. The bill is reddish, the eyelids
yellow and the feet dull yellow. Eyes dark as in
all sand-grouse.

The painted sand-grouse is only found in India,
and generally frequents rocky ground and low
jungle, but in many districts it does not occur—it is
not found west of the Indies nor in the Ganges delta,

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA, 169

the Carnatic plains, the Bombay and Malabar coasts,
or the forests north of the Godavery. It lays in
April and May as a rule, and the eggs are salmon-
pink in ground-colour.

Close-barred Sand-Grouse.

Pterocles lichtensteini, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 57.

The Close-barred Sand-grouse has a general simil-
arity to its Painted ally, but the cock is much less
handsome, being more narrowly barred, with black
on a buff ground ; the upper breast is barred as well
as the back. The hen is like that of the last species
but more finely barred, and without any bars on
the leg-feathering. In this species also there are
only 14 tail-feathers, the Painted Sand-grouse hav-
ing 16.

This species only lives, with us, in Sind, west of
the Indus, which it is said to visit only in winter.
It also inhabits Baluchistan, Arabia and the ad-
jacent parts of Africa.

Of the three-toed Sand-grouse, only one species
is found in Indian limits.

Tibetan Three-toed Sand-Grouse.

Syrrhaptes tibetanus, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds,
Vol. IV, p. 62.

NATIVE NAMES.—Kuk, Kaling, in Ladak.

The largest of all Sand-grouse, this bird is easily
recognised by its three-toed feet, and by the short

»

170 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

broad toes being covered, like the very short shanks,
with feathers; the tail has long centre-feathers as
in the Pin-tailed kinds. The general colour is
sandy, finely pencilled with black; the throat is
dull yellow, the quills black, and the belly white.
The hen differs less from the cock than in other Sand-
grouse, but has the black pencilling coarser, and
extending all over the breast, the lower part of the
cock’s being plain. As its name implies, this is a
bird of high Asia—Tibet and the Pamir, and Koko-
nor, but it is also found in Ladak and the upper
Sutlej valley. Its note, frequently uttered on the
wing, sounds something like Yuck-yuck. It drinks
very early in the morning and late in the evening.
Eggs obtained on the Pamir are of the typical Sand-
grouse shape, about two inches long, and cream-
colour, sprinkled over with small brown and grey
spots. The only other Asiatic Sand-grouse is also
the only other near ally of this bird.

Pallas’ Three-Toed Sand-Grouse.

Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Brit. Mus. Cat., Birds, Vol.
XXII, p. 2.

NaTIVE NAMES.—Stepnaya kuritza, Russian ; Sha-chee,
Chinese.

With the same peculiar feet and pin-tail, this is a much smaller
species than the last, being of the turtle-dove size usual in sand-
grouse. The cock is buff above, coarsely barred with black on
the back. The throat is golden buff, the breast grey, ending ina
band of black pencilling ; then there is a broad cream-coloured
belt, followed by a black patch ; the hen is more finely pencilled
with black above, has a narrow black line bordering the throat,
and the breast spotted with black and without the bordering
band, but with the cream belly and black belly patch as in the
cock. ‘ :

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 17k

This species, which has on several occasions created an ornitho-
logical sensation by invading Western Europe, including Britain,
inhabits the steppe-region from South Russia to North China.
It has a triple note, like truckturuck. The eggs, laid about
the beginning of June, are stone colour, marked with chocolate
and purplish.

APPENDIX I.

SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF FULL-PLUMAGED MALES.

It is generally agreed among sportsmen that only full-plum-
aged males should be shot among game-birds, at any rate the
polygamous species: and even among the pairing kinds there
is apt to be a preponderance of cocks, while, as young cocks are
generally like hens, if hen-coloured birds are spared, some cocks
‘are sure to be left. Hence, as the common points of cock and
hen, where these differ, are often difficult to give concisely, I
give only a table of full-plumaged male game-birds.

‘Shanks bare throughout or nearly PHEASANT AND PaR-

so; front toes webbed at base ; TRIDGE FAMILY.
hind toe small; wings short and
rounded,

A. Big birds, much larger than
fowls, with tail or train four
feet long.

A. 1. Neckblue,afan-shaped crest. Common Peacock (p. 10).

A. 2. Neck green, a lance-head- Burmese Peacock(p. 13).
shaped crest.

A. 3. General plumage brown, Argus Pheasant (p. 40).
wings extremely large.

B. Birds about two feet long, with

tails not longer than wing.

B. 1. Breast red, spotted with Crimson Tragopan (p. 28).
white. .

B. 2. Breast black, spotted with Black Tragopan (p. 29).
white.

B. 3. Breast red above, grey below, Grey-breasted Tragopan
unspotted. (p. 30).

B. 4. Breast velvety black -- Common Monaul (p. 32).

B. 5. Breast glossy green -. Bronze-backed Monaul

(p. 35).

9

is]

Ae f ff OP 2 br a

7

7?

I.
2.
About size of fowl;

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

. 6. Breast black-and-white above,

grey below.

Breast grey above,
and white below.

black

Birds of the size of fowls or

smaller, with long tails.
Acomb present ; breast black.

A comb present ; breast
orange-red.
A comb present; breast

streaky grey.

Tail flat and broad, with
green eye-spots.

Tail very long and arched ;

a ruff present.

Tail long and pointed; a long
crest.

Tail long and pointed; no
crest; wings and back
marked with white.

Tail long and pointed; no
crest ; no white.

Size of small fowl; tail short
and rounded ; plumage grey,
green and crimson.

Size of small fowl; tail short

and pointed ; three crests.

Front of neck chestnut. ..

Neck chestnut all round rae

a long

crest; face red ;. tail moderate

and broad.

Blue-black above,
below ; crest white.

Blue-black above, whitish
below ; crest black, white

bars on back.

Blue-black above, whitish
below, crest black, no white
on back.

Blue-black all over except
white bars on back.

whitish

173.

Himalayan Snowcock
(p. 87).

Tibetan Snowcock (p. 88)..

Red Jungile-fowl (p.

Ceylon Jungle-fowl (p.

Grey Jungle-fowl (p.

Peacock-pheasant (p. 45)..

Lady Amherst’s Pheasant
(Pp. 49).

Cheer Pheasant (p. 51).

Mrs. Hume's
(P. 54).

Pheasant

Stone’s Pheasant (p. 57).

Blood-Pheasant (p. 37).

Common Kokjass (‘p. 63).
Chesinut Koklass (p. 65).s-

White-crested Kaleege
(p. 68).
Nepaul Kaleege (p. 69).

Black-bached

Kaleege
(Pp. 70).

Purple Kaleege (p. 71)..

174

F. 5. Grizzly grey above, black
below.
Ido not give any key to the more
doubtful species of

G. Size of large fowl; face blue,

tail moderate, broad.

H. Partridges with tails, more than

half length of wing.

Shanks feathered half-way
down, plumage barred; bill
and feet red.

2. Plumage mottled ;

legs dull green.

3. Plumage plain drab or grey
above ; bill and feet red.

Plumage barred throughout,
throat buff, black-bordered.

5. Plumage barred above, streak-

ed below, throat chestnut.

6. Plumage mostly black includ-
ing throat, spotted with
white below.

H. 7. Facechestnut, under-parts near-

ly covered with white spots.

H. 8. Plumage mostly black, spotted

A. 1.

bill and

as

with white below, throat
white.

I. Spurfowl, partridge-like, with hen-

like tails, and double-spurred.

f. 1. General colour chestnut

I. 2. Chestnut spotted with white
above, breast buff, black-
spotted.

Streaked black and white above,
breast pure white.

J. Partridge with tail nearly as long

as wing, belly buff with large.

black spots.

K. Partridges with very short tails,
not noticeable ; nails very long.
K. 1. Throat black, bordered with

white, breast grey.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Lineated Kaleege (p. 72).

Kaleege (p. 62).
Five-backed
(p. 80).

Pheasant

Snow-partridge (p. 91 ).

Tibetan Partridge (p. 92).
Chukor (p. 93).
Grey Partridge (p. 102),

Swanp
(p. 104).
Black Partridge (p. 106).

Partridge

Painted Francolin
(p. 108),

Chinese Francolin
(p. 109).

Red Spurfowl (p. 99).
Painted Spurfowl
(p. 100).

Ceylon Spurfowl
(p. Ir).

Bamboo Partridge
(p. 112).

Common Hill-Partridge
(p. 114).

i

is

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Throat chestnut, black-spot-
ted; breast grey.

Throat black, not bordered
with white ; breast grey.

Throat black, merging into
grey breast, no chestnut
on sides.

Throat pale chestnut, chest
darker, black and white
band between.

Throat buff, black-speckled,
breast brownish buff.

Throat white, black-speck-
led, then chestnut, black-
spotted, legs green.

Partridge of dark glossy
greenish-blue, with red crest.
(Hen green, not crested, may
easily be taken for different
species.)

Partridge with plumage mostly
chestnut, back barred.

Partridge with plumage sandy,
bill and legs yellow.

Quails, very small, with closed
wing under five inches, tail

very short.
. I. Throat white, marked with
dark brown, breast buff.
Throat white, marked with
black, breast streaked with
black.
3. Throat brick-red, unmarked,
breast buff. .
Breast slaty-blue, belly rich
chestnut ; very small size.
5. Throat chestnut, breast

barred black and white,
quills, plain on inner web,
spotted buff on outer.

175

Blyth’s Hill -Parividge
(p. 115).

Avakan Hill-Partridge
(p. 116).

White-cheeked Hill-
Partridge (p. 117).

Red-breasted Hill-Pavrtvidge
(p. 118).

Brown-breasted Hill-
Partridge (p. 118).

Green-legged Hill-Partridge
(p. 122).

Red-crested Partridge
(p. 124).

Chestnut
(p. 123).
Seesee (p. 96).

Wood-Partridge

Common Quail (p. 129).

Rain Quail (p. 135)

Japanese Quail (p. 133).
Painted Quail (p. 137).

Jungle Bush-Quail (p. 140),

Throat chestnut, breast bar-
red black and white, quills
spotted with buff on both
webs.

Head black-and-white, sides
with black white-edged
spots.

O. 8. Asabove, but plumage greyer

and less black on face.

O. 9. Slate mottled with black
above, mottled black and
buff below.

O. 10. As above, but only pencilled

with black above,
buff below.

P. Quail with well-developed tail
three inches long ; plumage
grey with black streaks.

Like large plain-brown partridge,
but with large well-developed
hind-toe, all nails very long.

Quazl-like birds with three toes only ..

1. Breast barred with black, legs
blue-grey.

2. Breast buff, black-spotted at
sides, legs yellow.

3. As above, but more black on
back.

4. As 2, but with more black and
reddish on back.

5. Very small, breast buff, black-

spotted on sides, tail notice-

ably pointed, legs white or

bluish- grey.

short, feathered throughout,

hind toe very small or wanting,

wings long.

A. Toes naked, hind-toe present,
centretail-feathers long and
pointed,

Sandy above, belly chocolate,
black breast-band.

less

Shanks

A. 1.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

Rock Bush-Quail (p. 141).

Painted Bush-Quail
(p. 142).

Blewitt’s Bush-Quail
(p. 143).

Hume's Bush-Quail
(p- 143).

Ingli’s Bush-Quait
(P. 145).

Mountain Quail (p. 145).

NicoparR MEGAPODE
(p. 152).

Button-Quaits.
Blue-legged Bution-Quait
(p. 156).
Yeliow-legged| Button-
Quail (p. 157).
Burmese _ Yellow-legged
Button-Quail (p. 148).
Nicobar Yellow-legged
Bution-Quail (p. 159).
Little Button-Quail
(P. 159).

Sand-grouse (p. 162 ).

Common Pin-tailed Sand-
grouse (p. 164),

A.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 177

2. Sandy above, grey band along
sides of head, no black
breast-band.

3. Olive-green above, yellow
spotted, breast buff, belly
white.

Toes naked, hind-toe present,
centre tail-feathers not pro-
jecting.

I. Mottled slate and yellow
above, belly black.

2. Sandy above, black marks on
face and throat,

3. Broadly barred above with
chocolate and buff.

Finely barred above with
black and buff.

No hind-toe ; toes feathered like
shanks ; centre tail-feathers
long.

Spotted Pin-tatled Sand-
grouse (p. 165).

Lavge Pin-tailed Sand-
grouse (p. 165).

Black-bellied Sand-grouse
(p. 166),

Coronetted Sand-grouse
(p. 167).

Painted Sand-grouse
(p. 168).

Close-barred Sand-grouse
(p. 169).

Tibetan Sand-grouse
(p. 169).

APPENDIX II.

GAME BirDs IN CaPTIVITY.

As game-birds will generally live well in captivity, their man-
agement is well known, but a few hints to beginners may not be
out of place; even if there is no idea of keeping these birds for any
length of time, it may often be necessary to collect and transport
them for re-stocking depleted areas, or for export abroad, and
mistakes may easily be made by inexperienced people even in
simple proceedings like these.

For instance, care is required in handling such birds ; the larger
ones are very strong and violent in their movements, and so are
apt to hurt themselves when handled ; while the smaller kinds
have a way of slipping backwards out of one’s grasp in a most
disconcerting manner. In handling a quail or partridge, there-
fore, it is as well to be prepared for this manceuvre ; a bigger
bird should be grasped by the legs or wings, always taking hold
of both at once, and seizing the legs high up. This last precau-
tion is particularly necessary in the case of spurred species,
whose weapons may inflict a nasty cut. A hand net is best to
shift these birds with, whenever it can be used, as when catching
them out of an aviary or enclosure.

Then, game-birds of all sorts are particularly apt to spring
up violently and hurt their heads ; hence, any basket, cage or
hutch used for transporting them in should have a loose canvas or
sacking top, this being protected above by a more solid roof if
necessary. When confined in rooms or in aviaries, these should
have a ceiling of fine string net some inches below the real roof,
unless the birds are intended to be kept shut up permanently,
when it will be sufficient to clip one of the wings of each specimen
when they are put in ; this will prevent any suicidal performances
for some time, and by the time the cut quills are all moulted out
the birds will have got tamer.

All aviaries for birds of this description should be roofed and
kept as dry underfoot as possible ; and shade is also very import-
ant in a climate like India; but an outdoor run attached isa
ped useful adjunct, and tends to keep the birds in better con-

ition.

GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 179

A third point to bear in mind in the treatment of captive game-
birds is their fierce tempers; the sexes should never be kept
mixed during or just before the breeding season, or there will be
murder and mutilation among the cocks, though cocks alone
can generally be kept together. When on a long journey, such
asa voyage to Europe, it is just as well to keep each bird in
a separate compartment, in the case of the larger species.

Feeding is a simple matter in the management of game-birds,
a mixture of various sorts of corn and seeds suiting all of them ;
the little ones, of course, needing the smallest kinds only. In
aviaries, this may be thrown among the litter on the floor, it
being understood that this litter is frequently renewed—once a
week or so ; it should consist of chaff, or any such convenient
substance, with some fine gravel to aid digestion, and some
earth or sand for the birds to roll in, which they will do
instead of bathing.

A small water vessel is all that is necessary except in the hot
weather, when I have observed that pea-fowl, at any rate, like
to stand in water. Care should be taken that the water is kept
clean and cool.

Grain alone is not sufficient food if the birds are to be kept
shut up for more than a week or so ; in more prolonged captivity
they should be given daily rations of raw vegetable food such as
various salad vegetables, and these should be hung up in bunches
so that they can be picked at and not dragged about. A frequent
allowance of white-ants, or in default of such insects, some chop-
ped cooked meat, is also desirable ; chopped raw roots, such as
potatoes and onions, and fruit, are very beneficial, especially
to such species as Monauls, and should be among the rations
provided for a sea-voyage.

All food, by the way, given during such a journey should be
given in vessels securely fixed up, and none thrown on the floor,
which should be a barred wooden grating an inch or two above
the real bottom of the cage, so that all dirt will fall through and
can be scraped out without disturbing the birds. For short
journeys, such as a few hours by rail, a cabbage or lettuce tied
in the basket will afford all the refreshment necessary. It is,
of course, important, especially during the hot months, to let as
much of-the journey as possible be at night ; and species from
the higher levels of the hills should not be brought down at all
during the hot weather.

In fact, it generally amounts to cruelty to keep such birds
in the plains except in the cold weather, as many birds of this
group are very intolerant of excessive heat ; those from hot cli-
mates, on the other hand, bear cold very well as a rule, but all
need protection during a winter voyage to Europe, under the

180 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA.

conditions of close confinement and the bitter cold often experien-
ced at sea.

Birds that have been long confined without the use of gravel
should be allowed only a very little of this at first, or they will
often kill themselves by unrestricted use of what is merely a
mechanical digestive; many birds are,I am convinced, lost in
this way, aS natives never seem to realise that gravel is usually
taken by seed-eating birds, and so do not give it.

Few people seem to take much interest in breeding pheasants,
etc., in India; but any one who can rear chickens can
easily do so, if it be remembered that the young of the wild
game-birds need more raw green-meal and animal food than
young fowls. A mixture of chopped raw vegetables, especially
onions, hard-boiled egg, and stale bread-crumbs, forms an
excellent food for chicks, and any insects that can be got are
much appreciated, and greatly help in the rearing.

‘BOOKS FOR THE BUNGALOW

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A Simple and Practical Book on their Care and Treat-
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Fifth Edition. Illustrated. Cloth, Rs. 4-8.
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A Simple and Practical Book on their Care and Treatment
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With 57 Illustrations of the various Breeds of Cattle.

Extracts from Reviews of previous Editions.

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Seventh Edition. Cloth, Rs. 10.

Firminger’s Manual of Gardening
FOR
BENGAL, UPPER AND SOUTHERN INDIA
Partly re-written, thoroughly revised, and supplemented
By Dr. W. BURNS,

Director, College of Agriculture, Poona

4 Firminger’s Manual has been the Gardening Classic for both
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THACKER, SPINK & CO. (1933), LTD.
P. O. Box 54, CALCUTTA.

BOOKS FOR THE BUNGALOW

| Sixth Edition, Cloth, Rs. 4-8.
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By ISA TWEED
A Simple and Practical Book on the Care and Treatment
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and 12 coloured illustrations. A book worth its weight in
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By ISA TWEED
With Numerous IIlustrations.

Ninth Edition. Rs. 2.
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By Major (on - Thoroughly Revised by an Officer
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| This book has been thoroughly revised by an authority of wide
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An Epitome of Useful Information, medical and otherwise, arranged
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In this little book, lovers of the Rose will find all the information
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