WESTERN TRAGOPAN 211 



may call these birds, and the true monals together. In Kullu, 

 Mandi, and Suket there are different names for the sexes, the 

 cock being Jigurana and the hen Budal ; the Chamba name is 

 Falgnr, and that used in Bashahr is Jaghi. 



Unlike so many representative species, the two tragopans do 

 not range up to each others' boundaries, for, says Hume, from 

 the ridge in Garhwal above-mentioned, "for some four days' 

 march you meet with neither species. In this interval there 

 are three high ranges to cross that divide the Bhilling Rand 

 Valley from that of the Bangar Rand, this latter from the 

 Mandagni Valley, and this latter again from that of the 

 Alaknanda." How it is the birds have left this considerable bit 

 of neutral ground untenanted appears never to have been 

 explained, and the problem would be well worth solving. 



Like the crimson tragopan this species is essentially a wood- 

 lander ; it feeds chiefly on leaves, especially of box, oak, ringal, 

 and a privet-like shrub ; it also likes berries, especially that of 

 the Dekha of Kullu, and takes insects, acorns, and grubs as well, 

 while in captivity it eats grain. Though shifting its ground more 

 or less according to season, and ascending in the spring to near 

 the forest limit, it often remains in forests with plenty of snow 

 on the ground, being able to find its food in the trees. It is a 

 shy bird, avoiding human habitations, and seldom seen even by 

 natives, while, though it becomes tame very quickly in captivity, 

 it seems rarely to be exported, so that its intimate habits and 

 display are apparently unknown. The wild alarm note is a 

 repeated bleat like a lamb's or kid's, and the spring call is a loud 

 version of the same ; no doubt there are really two notes as in 

 the crimson tragopan. Where not disturbed, these birds may 

 be seen at times feeding in open patches in the forests along with 

 monal, and are easily shot when treed by dogs ; but persecution 

 makes them very wary, and at the best of times a pot-shot on 

 the ground or in a tree is all that can be got. They hide them- 

 selves with great skill, and when " treed " watch the sportsman 

 and shoot off as soon as discovered before proper aim can be 

 taken. They generally keep in straggling parties, and are often 

 found alone. 



The eggs have rarely been taken, owing probably to the 



