THE BIRDS OF NORTH C A CHAR. 487 



or five, just like those of the common fowl but more rich in hue. 

 Many I have taken could have been paired with richly coloured eo-o-s of 

 the Cochin-China fowl. As a rule they are much pitted and in some 

 eggs these pits are filled up with a chalky stuff, giving the egg a look 

 as if freckled with white. During the breeding season it may be heard 

 constantly uttering a deep chuckle as it runs about in the undergrowth, 

 from which it is very difficult to dislodge even with the help of doo-s. It 

 is a slow heavy flier until it gets some distance on the wing, when its pace 

 increases and it swoops down the sides of the hills with no little velocity. 



My eggs vary from 1-92" to 2-17" in length and from 1-44" to 1-52" 

 in breadth. They are laid on a few leaves and rubbish, collected in 

 some small hollow in a ravine, and are always placed where the under- 

 growth is very dense. 



(545) Gallus ferruqineds. — The Red Jungle Fowl. 

 Hume, No. 812 ; Blanford, No. 1328. 



Very common indeed. Here they lay from four to eight eggs, 

 generally four or five, rarely more than six. 



(546) Gennaeus horsfieldi. — The Black-breasted Kalij-Pheasaut. 

 Hume, No. 810 ter ; Blanford, No. 1339. 



Very common all over the hills up to about 3,500 feet^ above which 

 they are rare, though they may occasionally be foand on the highest 

 peaks. They breed from the end of March up to the middle of May 

 and lay four or five eggs, sometimes six or seven. 



(547) Tragopan blythi.— The Grey-bellied Horned Pheasant. 

 Hwve, No. 806 his; Blanford^ No. 1346. 



Only once have I seen this fine pheasant in North Cachar, when I 

 had the pleasure of watching two feeding for some time. It was early 

 in April and the cock bird was busy courting the hen who refused all 

 advances, They behaved exactly like domestic fowls and the cock 

 kept running round the female with trailing wing. 



This pheasant extends right through Manipur into the Lushai and 

 Northern Burmese hills and again up to Debrughur on the other side. 

 It keeps to high ranges and is very rarsly met with below 5,000 feet. 



Last March, after numerous fruitless attempts I at last succeeded 

 in obtaining nine fine specimens of this beautiful pheasant. I am now 

 therefore able to give descriptions of the young male and female, the 

 which have hitherto been desiderata. 



