890 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVI 



the chicks when hatched, and remaining with his familjr until the 

 following spring. These family parties usually number from 4 to 

 6, showing that it is unusual for large clutches of eggs to be taken, 

 and, though one cannot yet state anything definite in this respect, 

 it will pi'obably be found that 2 to 4 eggs form a normal clutch. 



The display of the Western Tragopan is similar to that of the 

 Crimson Tragopan already described. 



General habits. — The Western Tragopan keeps to much the same 

 altitudes as its more Eastern brothers, i.e., generally between 8,000 

 and 10,000 feet, wandering up to 12,000 feet in summer and 

 down to 6,000 feet and even lower in winter. It is still common 

 in many parts of Kashmir despite what Beebe says to the 

 contrary, and equally so in many suitable parts of Native Garhwal, 

 but the bird is so shy and such an inveterate skulker, that it 

 appears more rare than it really is. The fact also that it selects 

 for its haunts almost impenetrable forest and undergrowth growing 

 in the roughest and most broken hills and mountains makes it 

 difficult to find even when one knows that it is somewhere near, 

 and even if found, it by no means infers that it must be brought 

 to bag. 



Mr. 0. H. Donald writes to me about this bird and its present 

 day habitat and habits : 



" This Tragopan is to be found pretty well throughout the 

 Himalayas in suitable localities, from Kashmir to Garhwal, 

 and is not rare, provided one looks for it in the right place at 

 the right season of the year, and is willing to undertake 

 really hard work and hard climbing in pursuit of it. 



" I have shot it as low down as 4,000 feet in winter, but I 

 do not think it often comes much below 6,000 feet. In the 

 summer the forests of oak, spruce, silver fir, etc., especially 

 where more or less mixed with ringal bamboo are its favourite 

 haunts, and it is particularly partial to broken and boulder- 

 strewn country. In winter when it is driven low down by 

 heavy snow, it affects the boulder-strewn forests more than 

 ever. Higher up, the stunted rhododendron and birches 

 which form a dense low scrub on the edge of the Alpine 

 pastures are also much affected by this bird in the early 

 autumn, though they seem to wander into the open parts 

 ver}^ rarely, if at all. 



" Their flight is unmistakable, and a Tragopan rising 

 suddenly, even though invisible, cannot be mistaken for 

 anything else from the terrific deep whirr its wings make. 



" It, however, nearly always prefers running to flying, and 

 when disturbed, will race up a hillside, giving vent to a 

 plaintive, single note, call. A dog approaching one from 

 below Mall almost invariably have the effect of sending it up 



