8 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



undoubtedly most birds lay in March and April, many in February 

 and June and the rest at odd times throughout the year. 



I have not known them breed above 6,000 feet, but have taken 

 eggs at this height in the Assam Ranges, and have received a 

 clutch of 8 eggs taken at Simla at this height by Mr. P. Dods- 

 worth, whilst in the Naga Hills and hills in the extreme east of 

 Assam they are found up to 7,000 and even 8,000 feet in summer, 

 and almost certainly breed at this elevation. 



They nest in practically any kind of jungle, but undoubtedly 

 prefer for this purpose the dense tangle of secondary growth 

 which is found in deserted cultivation clearings. Next to this 

 kind of jungle, bamboo forest which is dense and which has some 

 undergrowth appears to be a favourite resort and, thirdly, broken 

 hills well covered with dense bush and tree forest. As regtirds the 

 nest, this may be either a depression scratched in the ground by 

 the birds or a natural hollow sometimes devoid of all lining, or, on the 

 other hand, well lined with fallen leaves and rubbish. Sometimes 

 there is no hollow even, and the eggs are just laid on the ground 

 under the protection of a bush or clump of bamboos, whilst often a 

 mass of leaves, grass and rubbish is collected in a heap, a hollow 

 formed in the centre, and the eggs laid therein. I have also taken 

 several nests made in the centre of bamboo clumps, the eggs being 

 deposited in the mass of leaves and rubbish which always fill up the 

 inside of these clumps to a height of two to four feet. 



As a rule the nests are well concealed, especially where they are 

 made in secondary growth, but I have more than once found them 

 so placed that they could be seen from some feet away without any 

 search having to be made for them. One such nest was placed on 

 the ground in a shallow green mossy ravine running through ever- 

 green forest. A certain amount of dead leaves, bracken and moss 

 had been collected in a depression, whence a large stone had been 

 turned out, and on these the eggs w^ere laid, conspicuous from 

 about 20 feet in every direction, except from . the point at which 

 they were screened by the boulder which still lay where it had been 

 thrown on one side. Another quite unconcealed nest lay in a very 

 open bamboo jungle, in a small bare space where nothing grew and 

 here on a few dead bamboo leaves lay the five eggs, saved from 

 molestation only by their resemblance in colour to the bamboo 

 leaves. 



The period of incubation appears to be 20 days, equivalent in 

 tropical countries to the 21 days the domestic fowl takes to hatch 

 her eggs in more temperate regions. The hen sits close, and when 

 forced to leave, creeps away silently through the jungle more like 

 an animal than a bird, though occasionally when very suddenly 

 disturbed she may get up with as much fluster and fuss as a barn- 

 door fowl. 



