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



it sails out of sight, di'ops to the gun, or descends headlong into the 

 sanctuary of the further forest. With dogs it gets up quicker, and 

 often perches, and if the dog distracts its attention, will then often 

 allow the gunner to walk right up to the tree before it quits by the 

 opposite side. 



In the mornings and evenings it comes into the open to feed, 

 both in cultivation and along the edges of roads and forest paths ; 

 in these and similar places it often aflfords a running shot as it 

 scurries away on being disturbed, but it is exceptional for it to take 

 to flight under such circumstances unless rushed b}^ a dog. 



Writing half a century ago, Gammie speaks of the Black-backed 

 Kalij as of a shy bird, but now-a-days, it appears to be just as wild 

 and as clever as an}^ of its near relations in avoiding the sportsman. 

 Gammie writes : 



" Usually it is a silent bird, but when suddenly alarmed, it 

 '•utters a sharply repeated ' /roorc/ii /^oorc/ii A"oo)-c/a ' as it rises 

 " on the wing. When, however, the males are in the fighting 

 "humour — which the}^ usuall}' are about breeding time — their 

 " call, as they advance towards each other, ' lioor Iwor ' ' waah 

 " vaah ' ; the former being the threatening and the latter the 

 " attacking note. They also at times answer each other's call 

 " in the jungles. 



" In fine weather the male often makes a sharp drumming 

 " noise by beating his wings against his sides, somewhat after 

 " the style of the wing flapping of the domestic cock pvejoara- 

 " tory to crowing from some elevated place ; but instead of the 

 " cock's few leisurely flaps, the Kalij sti'ikes oftener and 

 "smarter producing a sound more like drumming than flapping. 

 " From the same spot he repeats the noise twice or thrice at 

 " short intervals, but gives no voice along with it. It seems 

 " as though he was in such a jojdul mood that he must give 

 " expression to his delight somehow, but inherited experience 

 " had effectually taught him that any attempts at crowing in 

 " the jungle was likely to attract the attention of Avild beasts, 

 " and that he must stick to his drumming and leave the crow- 

 " ing part to the domestic cock, who can safely indulge in that 

 "amusement. 



" The natives look on the drumming of the Kalij as a sure 

 " sign of approaching rain. It is heard at all seasons of the 

 " year, but most frequently before the setting in of the rainjr 

 " season ; at other times generally just before a fall of rain. 



" The food of the Kalij is varied in the extreme. It eats 

 " almost everything in the shape of seed, fruit and insects, but 

 " is particularly fond of the larvio of beetles out of cow-dung 

 " and decayed wood, and several of the jungle 3'ams which bear 

 ■' tubers along their vines at the axils of the leaves. When the 



