THE SPUR-FOWL. 



The Spur-Fowl, of which there are three 

 species all peculiar to India and Ceylon, 

 appear to have affinities with the Partridges 

 on the one hand and with the Blood- 

 Pheasants on the other. They are 

 remarkable in having several spurs on 

 each leg, the male sometimes having as 

 many as three, and the female one or two, 

 and very rarely none. 



In the Spur-Fowl, the tail is composed 

 of 14 feathers. Of the way in which 

 the tail is carried by a Spur-Fowl in life 

 I am not able to speak from personal 

 observation. Dr. Jerdon, however, states 

 that the tail of these birds is folded as in 

 fowls. Colonel Legge also informs us 

 that the tail of the Ceylon Spur-Fowl is 

 divaricated, but he figures the bird with 

 quite an ordinary tail, differing in no 

 respect from that of a Partridge. Other 

 authors are silent on the subject, and 

 unfortunately no reliance can be placed 

 on the published figures of these birds. 

 213 



