THE (.ami: iniiDS OF IMHA. 179 



Museum, vary in length between l*70" (44-0 mm.) and 2'05" 

 (o'l-O mm.), and in breadth between 1-3G" (o4-5 mm.) and 1-54" 

 (39-1 mm.), the average of 58 eggs, being 1-92" (48-7 mm.) bv 

 1-47" (37-3 mm.). 



[lalnfs. — The Black-backed Kalij is a bird of somewhat lower 

 elevations than either of the two preceding birds, but at the same 

 time is not normally found at so low an elevation as that haunted 

 by the Black-breasted Kalij. It is most numerous at 2,000 feet to 

 5,000 feet, but is common enough round about Darjeeling and in 

 the interior of Sil^kim up to 0,000 feet, and perhaps even higher 

 than this in the hot weather. At 7,000 feet, however, it is only a 

 casual w-anderer, though it has been met with up to 8,000 feet. 

 Beavan, on the other hand, found it at Pankabari at the foot of 

 the hills (where it has been known to breed), and the natives say 

 that in the winter it wanders into the broken land in the Tea 

 Gardens, though the planters themselves say it is but rarel}'- they 

 come across one when oat shooting. 



Higher up amongst the Tea Gardens in the Darjeeling Terai it 

 is still extremely abundant in many places bordering the non- 

 cultivated areas. Hei'e there are wide extents of land planted w ith 

 tea, broken up and surrounded by ravines, steep hillsides and 

 rugged pockets, either retaining their original virgin forest or with 

 this replaced by a matted growth of secondary jungle even thicker 

 than the other. These patches are a very favourite resort of the 

 Kalij, not only on account of the protection given by their dense 

 cover, but on account of their bordering the tea lands, which furnish 

 good feeding grounds, and the crops of the native cultivators, of 

 which they take due toll. 



But if these places afford refuges to the birds from the encroach- 

 ments of civilization, thej^ also form, in a way, traps which lead to 

 their destruction, for they are comparativel}- easy to beat, and are 

 thus often worked by sportsmen in pursuit of them. 



When the i-avines and hillsides are beaten, the birds on fivino- 

 out always follow two rules ; firstly, they invariably make for the 

 heaviest forest near by, and secondly, when there is a choice bet- 

 ween two or more similar forests, the}- choose the one which will 

 enable them to fly downwards. 



Although 1 have never heard of big bags being obtained in this 

 way, a couple of guns in a morning's beat will soDietimes pick up 

 3 or 4 brace in addition to other odds and ends that the beaters 

 flush. 



Like all the Kalij Pheasants, it is a tremendous runner, and 

 when worked with beaters only, will seldom rise until it reaches the 

 very edge of the forest or bushes, when it gets up with a rush and a 

 flurry of wings, soon getting up a considerable pace. If flying 

 downhill, it alternately sails and flies with rapid beat of wings until 



