THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 175 



" usually seen in pairs or in parties of from 3 to 10, often 

 " feeding on the ground near cultivated patches at the border 

 •' of fores^t. The birds seem very fond of perching on trees, 

 '• and it is usually in this position that one comes across them 

 " in forcing ones wav through forest which has a dense under- 

 •• growth. On such occasions the Kalij first gives notice of its 

 " whereabout b}^ Avhirring down with great velocity from its 

 •• perch and then ninniug rapidly out of sight to the shelter of 

 •• some thicket. In the winter the birds roost on trees at the 

 •' foot of the hills, and the plan for making a bag is to post 

 ■• oneself about sunset under some trees which the}' are known 

 •* to frequent and to await their coming. The birds are then 

 ••soon heard threading their way through the jungle to their 

 " favourite trees, and at once fly out and perch. When once 

 '• settled for the night in this way thej^ are not easily alarmed, 

 " and I have shot 4 or 6 birds in quick succession before the 

 " rest of the part}' would clear oiit to quieter quarters. 



"Occasionally too one can get a shot at the Kalij as they 

 '• cross a hill path through the forest on their way to or from 

 " some streams. 



•' Great numbers of the Nepal Kalij are snared and brought 

 " into Khatmandu for sale ; the birds bear confinement in the 

 " valley ver}- well, and I reared several chicks to maturity." 



GEXNiEUS MELANONOTUS. 



The Black-hacked Kalij Pheasant. 



r Phasianus muthura, Gray, in Griffiths' Ed. Cuv. III., p. 27 (1829). 



h Gallophasis muthura, Gray, Gen. Birds 111., p. 498 (1845). 



Evplocamus melanonotus, (Blyth) Button, J.A.S.B, XVII., pt. II., p. 694 

 (1848) (Darj.eelins) ; Blyth, Cat. Mus. As. Soc.j p. 244 (1849). 



(Gallophasis melanonotu-^, Mitchell, P.Z.S. (1858), p. 544, PI. 149, fig. 2 ; 

 Jerdon, B. of Ind. III., p. 534 (1863) ; Hume. Nests and Eggs. Ind. B., p. 

 527 (1873) ; Marshall, B. Nests Ind., p. 59 (1877). 



Euplocamus melanonotus, Hume and luglis Str. Feath., V., p. 42 (1877) ; 

 Hume, ibid VII., p. 429 (1878). 



Euplocamus melanonotu.<. Hume and Marsh., Game-B, Ind. I., p. 191 

 (lb78) ; Gates, ed. Hume Nests and Eggs 111., p. 415 (1890). 



Gennceus muthura, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds B.M. XXII., p. 301 (1893) ; 

 Ghigi, Mem. Acad. Bolongna (6), V., p. 145 (1908). 



Gennceus melanonotus. Ogilvie-Grant, Hand-L. Game-B. 1, p. 263 

 (1895) ; Gates, Man. Game-B. Ind. 1., p. 331 (1898) ; Blanf., Fauna B.I. 

 IV., p. 91 (1898) ; Gates, Cat. Eggs B.M. I., p. 54 (1901) ; Stuart Baker, 

 Jour. B.N.H. See. XXIII., p. 668 (1915). 



Vernacular Names. — Kar-Hhyak (Lejtcha). 



I follow Blanford in refusing to accept muthura as the specific 

 name for this Pheasant. The description is that of a bird " the size 

 of a tin-key " which is, of course, too big for any of the Kalij 

 Pheasants ; this, however, would not debar the name if the descrip- 

 tion was otherwise sufficient, for there is no doubt it is meant to 



