174 JOURNAL, BOMS AY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



that this is a feature which crops up here and there throughout the 

 whole range of nielanonotus . 



Nidification . — As far as I can ascertain there is nothing authen- 

 tic on record about the breeding of this Pheasant. Scully says 

 nothing about their nesting habits. Hume says : 



•' The habits and nidification of this species are, of course, 



" very similar to those of the other Kalij Pheasants." 



This, however, in so far as it relates to the nidification is merelj- 



guess work on Hume's part, though undoubtedly correct. Ogilvie- 



G rant says of the nest and eggs "very similar to those of G. 



albocristatus", a statement very possibly founded on Hume's. 



There are no eggs of this species in the British Museum, nor did 

 Hume ever obtain any, and I think the first eggs ever taken were 

 two brought to a Mr. Ferry by Nepalese from the hills immediately 

 above Bettiah. These were given b}^ him to Dr. H. N. Collart, 

 who in turn made them o^^er to me. Later I obtained a second 

 clutch of five eggs from the same place together with the skins of 

 the females. 



In appearance the eggs cannot possibly be distinguished from 

 those of the other Kalij Pheasant ; the surface, texture and shape 

 are all quite normal. In size the}^ vary in length between 53' 1 

 mm. and 40*2 mm., and in breadth between 34-2 mm. and 31-1 

 mm., the average of eighteen eggs being 50'4 mm. by 33*6 mm. 

 The two clutches were taken on the 23rd May 1908, arid 25th 

 June 1907, respectively. 



Habits. — The Nepal Kalij Pheasant is a bird of comparatively 

 high elevation, for though in the cold weather it wanders down to 

 some 2,000 feet and even to the foot hills still lower than this, it is 

 most common between 4,000 and 6,000 feet, seldom breeding 

 below the former level, whilst it is common up to 9,000 feet and 

 perhaps even higher. 



Hodgson has left little on record about this Pheasant, and was in 

 fact somewhat doubtful as to its status. He remarks : 



" This is by far the commonest Pheasant in Nepal. Its 



'• range is the central region ; it is never found in the Terai, 



" seldom in the Cachar (the most elevated portions of Nepal). 



" Where Galkis ferrughieus ends there the Kalij begins and 



" extends, though in diminishing numbers, to the region of 



" the Monal and the Tragopan.' 



The notes of Scully in " Stray Feathers " written in 1 880 are still 



practically the only record we have of this bird's habits, and are 



quoted as follows : — 



" G. leucomelanus is common, wherever thick forest is found, 

 " from Hetoura in the Dan to the Valley of Nepal ; in all the 

 " wooded hills surrounding the latter up to an elevation of 

 " nearly 9,000 feet; and in every forest about Noakote. It is 



