THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 329 



Wilson describes this plieasant as being tame for a game-bird, and 

 notes that where it is most common it is most confiding and, vice- 

 versa, Where most rare there it is most wild and difficult of approach ; 

 nor is this because where most common it is least hunted and inter- 

 fered with for such is far from being the case. 



As a sole object for sport the Moonal can in our day hardly suffice 



to satisfy sportsmen unless they are of that kind who are content with 



a long day's tramp over the most beautiful country with but a 



moderate bag at the end of it, varied by days which are almost blank. 



To such the never-ending interest of the grand and wild scenery and 



magnificent mountains and forests loved by these noble birds in 



itself suffices, and if in the course of one's climbs two or three of them 



fall to the gun, well, so much the added joy to the day's outing. 



Even now, however, if the would-be sportsman will wander far enough 



away from civilization, cultivation and the beaten track, he may yet 



get bags of a dozen or even more birds in a single day's shoot. Where 



they are fairly common they do not ap^Jear to be hard to obtain and 



they have not the same notorious reputation for running instead of 



flying as is the case with so many of our Indian Game-Birds. They 



rise fairly well when disturbed and generally fly some distance before 



again alighting ; sometimes, however, when flushed they take to the 



trees and in such cases allow the sportsman to get quite near enough 



for a shot before they again take to wing. As might be expected of 



so big a bird they rise with considerable fluster in addition to which 



they utter at the same time loud shrill whistles repeated whilst on 



the wing until they are in full flight. 



Bailey found them very common in the Chambi Valley up to the 

 tree limit, there somewhere about 14,000 feet elevation. He 

 ■writes : — 



■' They have a habit of whistling in the early morning, and at 

 "this time it is easy to walk through the thick forest towards 

 "the sound and shoot them sitting. I found that the following 

 " was the best way to get sporting shots ; two guns would walk 

 " quietly along the road and two men would go quietly through 

 "the forest alone, these men whistled if they saw any Moonal 

 " and then put them up when they would sail down-hill over 

 "our heads." 

 As regards their diet, there has been but little added to Wilson's 

 notes as quoted by Hume to the following effect : — 



" In autumn the Moonal feeds chiefly on a grub or maggot 

 "which it finds under the decayed leaves ; at other times on 

 "roots, leaves and young shoots of various shrubs and grasses, 

 "acorns, and other seeds and berries. In winter it often feeds 

 "in the wheat and barley fields ; but does not touch the grain ; 

 ■ roots and maggots seems to be its sole inducement for digging 

 amongst it. At all times and in all seasons, it is very assiduous 



