546 JOURXAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vul. XXV. 



la length the 11 eggs vary between 46*2 and 52-5 mm., and 

 in breadth between o4.-2 and 30-6 mm. 



The breeding season appears to commence very early, for one 

 of these clutches is dated 0th April 1890,- and continues through 

 May well into June. They would not seem to breed below 7,000 

 feet if as low as that. 



General Ilahits. — There is but little on record about these birds, 

 but where found they appear to be not uncommon from 7,000 feet 

 upwards, at least as high as 10,000 feet, and less frequently up to 

 12,000 feet, or even higher, where there is sufficient cover. Major 

 F. M. Bailey found them plentiful on the Fei-yueh-ling a few days 

 South of ' Ta-chien-lu, bet\Neen 7,000 and 9,000 feet. He 

 describes the cocks as noisy birds, and unwilling to fly. Lieut. Van 

 Someran writing to Mr. Comber says that he found them only at 

 heights of 8,000 feet or over, and that the}' Avere common birds on 

 the Chinese side of the Chino-Burmese Frontier. 



In China, the habits of this beaiitiful Pheasant are described at 

 some length by Pore David, who writes : 



" Lady Amherst's Pheasant lives, the whole year round, in 

 " the highest jungle-covered hills of Western Szechuen, 

 " Yunnan, Keoucheou, and the highest hills of Eastern Tibet. 

 " It especially frequents the chimps of wild bamboos which 

 " grow at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 metres, and the shoots of 

 "these are its favourite food ; indeed it is from this its Chinese 



" name of Seng-ky (Shoot-fowl) is derived In the 



wild state it shows a very jealous disposition, and will not 



allow the Golden Pheasant to ap^Droach the locality in 



" which it resides ; and so one never meets these two bril- 



" liantly coloured pheasants on the same hill or in the same 



" valley." 



Capt. Davies adds a little more information to that given by 



previous writers, and says : 



" In Yunnan this species is about as common as the last 

 " mentioned (P. elegans), and is found at fairly high eleva- 

 " tions, usually in forests. It is difficult to make individuals 

 " fly, and when they rise they do so without crowing, and with 

 " verj'' little noise of the wings. They appear to be ' soft ' 

 " birds, very easily killed. The note is a peciiliar rasping 

 '" sound. Specimens were obtained in Western Yunnan at 

 " 7,000 feet and in Kweichow 7,700 feet." 

 The}^ are easy birds to keep and breed in captivity, crossing 

 freel}'^, as might be expected with the Golden Pheasant, the result- 

 ing hybrids often being of great beauty. According to Seth- 

 iSmitli their hybrids are perfectly fertile. 



(To he continued.) 





