THE JUNGLE-FOWL. 57 



male is very peculiar, and might be syllabled ' Kiick-Kaya- 

 Kya-Ktick^ ending with a low double syllable, like ^ Kyu- 

 kun, Kyiikun,^ repeated slowly, and very softly, so that it can- 

 not be heard except when one is very close to the bird. Only 

 the males crow, and that normally only in the mornings and 

 evenings, though occasionally they crow at intervals during the 

 day when the weather is cloudy. The crow is very easily 

 imitated, and with a little practice the wild birds may be readily 

 induced to answer. 



" They do not, however, crow the whole year through, but 

 only from October to May, when they are in full plumage. 



" When flushed by a dog in the jungle, they flutter up into 

 some tree above with a peculiar cackle, a ' Kuck-kuck-kuck, 

 which, however, they only continue till they alight. 



"They come into the open in the mornings and evenings, 

 retiring to cover during the heat of the day, unless the weather 

 is cloudy, when they may be met with in the open throughout 

 the day. 



"Though found in evergreen forests, they seem to prefer 

 moderately thin and bamboo jungle. 



" Ordinarily, as already remarked, they are found scattered ; 

 but when a tract of bamboo comes into seed, or any other 

 particular food is locally abundant, they collect there in vast 

 numbers, dispersing again as soon as the food is con- 

 sumed. . . . 



"In some ways they are not very shy; by taking an early 

 stroll, even without a dog, along some quiet road by which 

 cattle and grain pass, several can always be obtained, but when 

 they have been at all disturbed and shot at, they become very 

 wary, and even with a dog, before which they ordinarily perch at 

 once, they arc very difflcult to secure. In such cases, they run 

 till they think they are out of shot, and then rise, and instead 

 of perching, take a long flight, often of many hundred yards, 

 and when they do alight, commence running again. 



" The best time to shoot the Jungle-Cock is from October 



