192 INDIAN SPOETING BIEDS 



the doubtful form known as Anderson's silver pheasant {Genncdus 

 andersoni). Owing also to hybridism in the wild state, both with 

 the purple kalij and silver pheasant, the limits of this bird are 

 hard to fix. Eggs of the lineated kalij may be found from March 

 to May, in a hollow scratched out among dry leaves or scratched 

 in the ground and lined with such leaves, but are generally well 

 hidden. The eggs are seldom more than eight and are of a buff 

 or stone colour with a pinkish tinge. 



Silver Pheasant. 



Gennmiis nycthemerus. 



The lovely silver pheasant, for the last century domesticated 

 at home, is not known as a wild bird in India, but as he lives as 

 near as South China, and his hybrid offspring infest our border- 

 ing states, to the great bewilderment of sportsmen and naturalists, 

 he comes into the tangled tale of the pencilled-backed kalijes. The 

 cock silver pheasant has a folded tail, but it is long, and the top 

 feathers are so long and arched that the general effect looks quite 

 different from that of the tail of other kalijes. These top feathers 

 are pure white, and white is the ground colour of the rest of the 

 plumage except for the blue-black underparts and crest. The 

 black pencilling is regular, but extremely fine and inconspicuous 

 except on the wings and side tail-feathers. The crest droops as 

 in the white-crested or common kalij, but is far fuller than in 

 that or any other species. The legs are red as well as the face 

 in both sexes. The hen has a short crest, hardly noticeable, and 

 black ; and perfectly plain brown plumage, the only markings 

 being irregular black and white pencilling on the outside tail 

 feathers. Young birds have this pencilling on the breast, and 

 the cock, which does not get his full colour till the second 

 year, goes through a most peculiar series of changes before and 

 while moulting into it, the feathers appearing to change colour 

 without a moult to some extent. A maturing specimen of this 

 sex might easily be referred to half a dozen species at various 

 times, as species have been reckoned in this group. 



The form known as Anderson's silver pheasant {Gennceus 



