Kalij- and Silver- Pheasants. 325 



but in summer it may be met with at an 

 altitude of 9000 or 10,000 feet. 



Much has been written on the habits 

 of this common Pheasant. I shall content 

 myself with transcribing a few notes by 

 Captain J. H. Baldwin as quoted by 

 Messrs. Hume and Marshall. He says : — 

 " Its favourite habitat is among thick 

 clumps of bushes and shrubs near the 

 banks of rivers, in low valleys through 

 which streams of water run, and on the 

 slopes of hills where there is plenty of 

 low bush cover, especially thorny thickets 

 bordering on cultivation ; in the early 

 morning, the vicinity of an old cowshed 

 is a sure resort of this bird if anywhere in 

 the neighbourhood. I have flushed this 

 Pheasant and the common red Jungle- 

 Fowl from the same description of cover 

 at the foot of the hills. The call of the 

 bird, which may be heard at all times of 

 the day, is a sharp twut^ twut^ twut^ 

 sometimes very low, with a long pause 

 between each note, then suddenly in- 

 creasing loudly and excitedly." 



The peculiar sound the birds of this 

 group make in the breeding season is 

 caused by the flapping of the wings against 

 the body, and is a challenge to other 

 cocks. Captain Baldwin thus describes 



