THE KALIJ PHEASANTS. 263 



running rapidly out of sight to the shelter of some thicket. In 

 the winter the birds roost on trees at the foot of the hills, and 

 the plan for making a bag is to post oneself, about sunset, under 

 some trees which they are known to frequent, and await their 

 coming. The birds are then soon heard threading their way 

 through the jungle towards their favourite trees, and at once 

 fly up and perch. When once settled for the night in this 

 way, they are not easily alarmed, and I have shot four or five 

 birds in quick succession before the rest of the i^arty would 

 clear out to quieter quarters. Occasionally, too, one can get 

 a shot at the Kalij as they cross a hill-path through the forest, 

 on their way to or from some stream. 



" Great numbers of the Nepal Kalij are snared and brought 

 into Khatmandu for sale. The birds bear confinement in the 

 valley very well, and I reared several chicks to maturity." 



Nest and Eggs. — Very similar to those of G. albocrisiatiis. 



III. THE BLACK-BACKED KALIJ PHEASANT. GENN/EUS 

 MELANONOTUS.* 



7 Phasianus muthuya^ Gray, in Griff, ed. Cuv. iii. p. 27 (1829). 

 Eiiplocamus niela?iotus (Blyth), Hutton, J. As. Soc. Beng. xvii. 



pt. 2, p. 694 (1848); Elliot, Monogr. Phasian. ii. pi. 19 



(1872). 

 Gallophasis viehinotiis, Mitch. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 544, pi. 149, 



fig. 2. 

 Eiiploconius niela?wnoius, Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of 



India, i. p. 191, pi. (1878); Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and 



Eggs, iii. p. 415 (1890). 



* Though I still have little doubt that Latham's "Chittygong Thea* 

 sant," on which Gray founded his Phasianus t?iuthura, refers to the pre- 

 sent species, Mr. W. T. Blanford has recently called my attention to the 

 fact that Latham describes his bird as being as big as a Turkey, Gray of 

 course following suit. As there is thus some doubt as to the propriety of 

 using the name of G. mutJmra for this bird, 1 have thought it better to 

 use the much more appropriate and descriptive name of G. nielanonotus 

 (Blyth). 



