EED SPUR-FOWL 179 



cock, which is far more Hkely to be correct, for the cock grey 

 jungle-fowl has salmon-coloured legs. 



The female of this species is called in Cingalese Weli kikili, 

 and the Tamil name is Kaida koli. 



Red Spur-fowl. 



Galloperdix spadicea. Chota jungli murghi, Hindustani. 



The scientific name "cock-partridge" and the Hindustani 

 one, " little jungle-fowl," give a very good idea of the character 

 of this queer little wild bantam, though it is a bantam ]ien, not 

 a cock, which it resembles, the tail being short and hen-like, 

 while there are no hackle-feathers. The comb is also wanting, 

 but the eyes are surrounded with a red bare skin, and the feet 

 and bill are also red. The hen is also not so very unlike some 

 fowls, a light, sometimes greyish brown, more or less pencilled 

 across with black, but the cock is of a strikingly distinct colour, 

 being of an almost uniform chestnut throughout, though this 

 again is much like the shade of the much-boomed '' Rhode 

 Island Red " poultry. 



Although lacking the distinctive decorations of their aristo- 

 cratic relations, the jungle-fowl, spur-fowl easily surpass them 

 in the practical matter of armature ; the cock has usually two 

 spurs on each leg, sometimes more, while it is a poor hen that 

 cannot raise at least one spur on one leg, and some have two on 

 one and one on the other. 



The distribution of this bird is curious ; it is scattered about 

 here and there throughout the Indian Peninsula ; yet though it 

 does not extend north of the Ganges in this region, it turns up 

 again in the Oudh Tarai. It is essentially a bird of hilly and 

 rocky jungle, and is never found in flat country or open land of 

 any sort. It is very shy, seldom coming into cultivation, and 

 even when its haunts are invaded always greatly prefers running 

 to flying. It is very swift on foot, and even a dog has difficulty 

 in putting it up ; when it does rise, it goes off with a whirr and 

 loud cackle, and is easily shot, but not at all easily retrieved if 

 not killed, as it goes to ground like a rabbit. In fact the best 



