THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 17 



coutinually crossed with the wild cocks that to all intents and 

 purposes the birds are nothing but wild birds pure and simple, yet 

 the cocks never have the same robustness and fighting abilit)^ as the 

 actual wild ones. In appearance they are one and the same birds 

 until one examines the spurs and then it is seen that the spur 

 of the wild bird is generally far longer, finer and cleaner than that 

 of the village bird. One seldom meets with the short bulgy spur 

 in a feral state and the texture also seems to be much harder and 

 closer and naturally, as a weapon, is far more effective. 



The strength and vigour with which the Jungle-cock can use his 

 spur is really astonishing ; in addition to the cases already men-, 

 tioned in one of which the neck vertebrae were severed and in the 

 other the eye and brain pierced, I have more than once known 

 them to drive the spur full into their opponent's brain behind the 

 comb, and on another occasion found a cock with his wing broken 

 at the carpal joint. Sometimes so fierce is the blow given that the 

 spur itself gets broken or torn awaj'-, and once that is done the 

 owner is no more of use in the ring, however great his pkxck and 

 determination. 



In spite of what Hume says to the contrary, for the table the 

 qualities of the Jungle-fowl must be rated nearly as high as his 

 pugilistic attributes. When shot round about villlages he maj^ 

 sometimes be found to be a foul feeder, though this is not my own 

 experience, but normall}' his flesh is excellent, even old birds are 

 comparatively tender and sweet, except for their legs, whilst birds 

 of the year are much better eating than are Kali] Pheasants of 

 the same age. Like all game birds they are all the better for hang- 

 ing when the climate permits, but when it is impossible to keep 

 them for two or three days they should in the alternative be plucked, 

 cooked and eaten as soon as possible after being killed. 



Like the domestic fowl the Jungle-fowl is practically omnivorous, 

 but is by preference rather a vegetaiian than an insect eater. All 

 kind of seeds, grain, etc., are greedily devoured, and also many 

 kinds of roots, buds and yoang shoots. Bamboo seeds are a yqyj 

 favourite food, and where there are stretches of bamboo which 

 have seeded and the seeds are beginning to fall, these birds — and 

 others — collect in almost incredible numbers into a very small 

 area. I have known them eat in addition to their ordinarj^ seed 

 and grain diet, worms and small lizards, insects of all kinds, 

 tadpoles out of a little backwater in a hill stream, and, once, I saw 

 a hen rushing about with a small grass snake in her bill pursued by 

 two other Jungle-fowl. Whether they would have finished the 

 snake or not cannot be said, as my appearance on the scene dis- 

 persed the meeting. They are very fond of all kinds of wild figs 

 and berries and also of the mowa flower when this ripens and falls 

 to the ground. 



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