TRE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 37 



and iiioiintaius to the low Euphorbia and other scrub jungle 

 found on the sea coast and elsewhere. It is equall}- common in 

 the bamboo-covered country, and may be found in bush, semi-culti- 

 vation, or the dense secondary growth surrounding villages and old 

 cultivation. 



They are extremeh* quarrelsome, pugnacious birds ; quite as 

 fond of fighting as the Red Jungle-fowl and far more prone to this 

 diversion than the grey birds. Layard says : — 



" The cocks fight most desperately in defence of their serag- 



" lios, the combat freqiiently terminating in the death of one 



" of the engaged parties." 



Their pugilistic tendencies often bring them to grief in other 



ways, however, for the natives are aware of them and, vide Legge, 



make use of them to decoy them within shot. 



" The sound of the flapping of the wings, which is of course 



" the invitation to battle, has the effect of always drawing two 



" birds together and the knowledge of this fact has given rise to 



" the device of imitating the noise, b}" doing which the sports- 



" man can bring the cock up to him, and if he be pi'operly con- 



'' cealed caueasih^ shoot him. * The natives make this sound by 



" clappitig against their thighs with the palm of the hand 



" hollowed, but Europeans can best do it by making a pad 



" with the handkerchief and beating it against the palm of the 



" other hand. By this means the exact sound can be made 



" and 1 myself once procured a very fine specimen in the 



" Ostenburgh Woods by adopting this plan." 



I have never heard anyone speak of making a regular business of 



shooting the Jungle-fowl in Ceylon as sportsmen do with the Grey 



Jungle-fowl in the Nilgiris and with the Red Jungle-fowl in many 



districts. 



Legge remarks that : — 



" This handsome bird, although so xqvj abundant in many 

 ' parts is by no means easj' to shoot. It dwells entirely in 

 ' cover, and though it is so fond of frequenting the vicinity of 

 ' paths and tracks through forest, its sense of hearing is so 

 ' acute that it removes to a safe distance at the sound of appro- 

 ' aching footsteps, and though it will continue to utter its 



• challenge cry of "George Joyce", it gradually makes its 

 ' way off behind some protecting hillocks or rise in the 

 ' ground which shuts out the road or path from its view. The 



• north-eastern forests are well suited to its habits, the ground 

 ' being covered with dry leaves, which do not decay so soon 

 ' as in the humid jungles of the south ; and among these, 

 ' hai'bouring a multitude of seeds, insects, and grubs, it 

 ' scratches exactly after the manner of its domestic race. This 

 ' scratching may often be heard on a still morning at some 



