:^;V> JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



" but in these places, at best, only one or two will be shot in a 

 " long morning's work. It is not till we get to the foot of the 

 " hills that this Pheasant can be said to be common. Here the 

 " nallas, with their pools of water and rocky beds, are particu- 

 " larly favourable to it. As we mount higher it increases in 

 " numbers to such an extent it is no difficult matter to knock 

 " over half a dozen in a morning while marching, and that 

 " without leaving the path." 

 During the breeding season the cock Pheasant of this species in- 

 dulges in the same form of challenge to other cocks as that already 

 described in regard to previous species, viz., the drumming sound 

 made by beating the wings against the sides of the body as the bird 

 sits on some elevated position, such as an ant heap or some log or 

 stump. 



Gates says that the sound of the birds' wings may be very fairly 

 imitated by holding a pocket handkerchief by the two opposite corners 

 and then jerking one's arms apart, and he adds that he has himself 

 on two occasions shot cock birds ranning excitedly towards the 

 sound thus made. 



Davison also refers to tins method of challenge, which he calls 

 buzzing, and remarks that the Burmans trap a great number of 

 these Silver Pheasants by the aid of a decoy bird which is induced 

 to " buz " and so call up other males around him, when they are 

 caught in the noozes laid down for this purpose. 



Like all Kalij Pheasants the Burmese Silver Pheasant is an in- 

 veterate skulker, and without a dog it is almost impossible to make 

 them take to wing as tliey scuttle away to safety on foot with great 

 speed. With a dog they are easy to flush, but even then when put 

 up they, like the rest of their tribe, generally take to a tree or 

 bamboo perch and then glide away from the opposite when the 

 would-be shooter approaches. 



The easiest way to get them where they are at all numerous is to 

 wander along the edges of cultivation, or along some jungle path in 

 the early mornings and evenings and trust to luck to coming across 

 them and getting a snap-shot as they run for the nearest cover. 



Of course, sometimes, the birds can be forced by beaters out of 

 isolated patches of cover, and when such a proceeding is possible, 

 fair sport may be had as the birds fly well when once started. Like 

 most pheasants — indeed, like most game birds — they fly down-hill 

 but always run up-hill when disturbed. 



Although Oates found it very hard to rear the young, others have 

 been more successful, and I am informed that they become very 

 tame and domesticated, though if allowed to run loose, they gene- 

 rally disappear when the breeding season approaches. 



They feed on both grain and other vegetable food and on insects. 

 Whito ants, or Termites, and ordinary ants are a very favourite food 



