24 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISr. fiOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



Below white, each feather edged with dark brown and more or 

 less speckled with brown inside this edging ; flanks mottled sandy 

 brown and brown with broad white central streaks. 



Colours of the soft parts. — Irides red or yellowish red in fnlly 



adnlt birds, yellowish brown in the vounger ones and brown in 



birds of the first jear. Legs and feet dull waxy 3- ellow or yellowish 



brown, according to Hume brownish fleshy in younger birds : the 



soles are paler and the toes, generally, darker than the tarsus ;. claw 



dark horny brown or blackish. Bill horny brown, paler at the 



base of the tipper mandible and yellowish white on the whole of the 



lower. Rudimentary comb and bare facial skin dull crimson or 



brick red, less dull during the breeding season than at other times. 



Measurements. — "Length 18-0 to 20-0; expanse 26*0 to 27*0; 



"wing 7-8 to 8-3; tail from vent 6-0 to 7-0 ; tarsus 2-2 to 



"2-55; bill from gape 1-02 to 1-2; weight 1-lb. 9-ozs. to 



" 1-lb. 12-ozs.'" (Hume). 



Chicle in down. — Similar to that of the Bed Jungle-fowl, but 



with the lateral bands almost pure white instead of bright pale 



buff and the sides and lower parts dull grey instead of rich buff" and 



buff" respectively. 



HiTme considers that the northern birds, Mount Abu, " run rather 

 larger and considerably heavier than the Nilgiri ones."' 1 can find 

 nothing to confirm this, and have seen two bigger birds from the 

 south of Travancore than from anywhere else further north. 



Distribution. — In 1898 Blanford thus defined the habitat of the 

 Grey Jungle-fowl, and since that date [ have seen no record claim- 

 ing and any further extension. 



" Throughout Southern and Western India in hill}^ and jungly 

 " ground. This Jungle-fowl is found near the Eastern coast 

 " as far no]"th as the Godaveri, and in the Central Provinces its 

 " limit is some distance East of Sirmcha, Chanda and Seoni. 

 " It is found throughout the Nerbudda Valley west of Jubbal- 

 " pore, and in parts of Central India and Bajputana, as far as 

 " the Aravalis and Mount Abu, but no further to the northward 

 " or westward. It is met with near Baroda, but has not been 

 " observed in Kattywar. It is common throughout the 

 " Western Ghats and Satpuras, and it is found, though not 

 " abundantly, on the tops of the Nilgiri and Palni Hills." 

 South'\A'ards it is found almost, but not quite, down to the ex- 

 treme south of Travancore. 



Nidif cation. — The breeding season, properly speaking, extends 

 over Februarj^, March, April and May over the greater part of this 

 bird's habitat, though Davison writing of the Western Nilgiris 

 records October, November and December as the principal breeding 

 months. As a matter of fact eggs, fresh and hard-set, and young, 

 just hatched or nearly fully fledged, may be found in practically 



