74 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. Xtl. 



whether they have noticed any distinct difference in the colours of the plum- 

 age, as according to a recently published book on "Game Birds" compiled by 

 Mr. Ogilvie Grant, of the British Museum, there is described and figured a 

 Moonal pheasant, found in Chamba, which in colouring differs from the 

 ordinary Moonal so much that it is named as a distinct species. So far only 

 three or four skins of this particular bird have been obtained in Chamba, and 

 the appearance of the female is at present not known. Mr. Grant asks 

 sportsmen, who may be shooting in Chamba, to try and obtain a specimen of 

 the female bird if possible. I have for some time made numerous enquiries 

 from villagers and shikaries in Chambn, as well as from the Prime Minister of 

 the State, who is a very keen and observant sportsman, about this particular 

 Moonal, and have so far ascertained that its appearance is generally known, 

 but everyone declares that it is only a chance variety of the common cock 

 Moonal, which has been hatched out in a nest of eggs by the common hen 

 Moonal. Consequently there cannot be any special hen bird belonging to the 

 so-called separate species. The cock birds would appear to have a tendency 

 to vary at times, and the Mian Saheb Bhurie Singh, the Prime Minister, told 

 me of a white cock Moonal being observed by his Shikari a short time ago. 

 For the benefit of those who have not a copy of Mr. Grant's " Game Birds"' 

 I add a description from it, showing the differences between the KO-called 

 Chamba Moonal and the common kind. 



Common Moonal pheasant. Lower back pure white, under parts black 

 with no green gloss except on throat ; tail light rufous chestnut. 



Chamba Moonal pheasant. Lower back golden green, shadiug into purplish 

 blue ; under parts entirely glossed with metallic s^olden green ; tail chestnut 

 tipped with golden green. 



G. S. ROD ON, 

 Major. 

 Chamba State, N,-W. Himalayas, April, 1899. 



No. v.— GAME IN THE WALTAIR DISTRICT, 



It may be of some interest to record the result of a season's duck shooting 

 in this district, so far as I have been able to record it. The bag is not a 

 large one, us it represents the result of promiscuous shooting by four district 

 officers, but it gives a good idea of the distribution of duck here. We have 

 been anxious to shoot several varieties not mentioned in the list, such as the 

 Pink-head, the White-eye, Mallard ;md othe3s said to have been recorded 

 from the Northern Circars, but although pains have been taken to identify 

 the species during the last two years, I cannot record their occurrence, and 

 they must be rare stragglers. The Pin-tail has migrated here in fewer num- 

 bers than usual, although they are reported as common in Ganjam, the 

 neighbouring district. A curious fact is that the Gadwall, noted as an 

 ex'-ellent bird for the table, has been usually very poor eating and frequently 



