Capa 
met with, owing to their indiscriminate slaughter by hillmen, who 
chiefly snare them. Skins much be dragged, hanging up for sale in 
the Bazar is a common sight. Owing to the bright fiery red colour 
of this Ceriornis, they have occasionally been popularly miscalled 
Argus or Blood-pheasant. Both these birds are distinct from this 
species. Satyra feeds much on tender parts of young shoots of fern 
leaves. They are not averse to eating Indian corn (maize). 
(807) ITHAGINIS CRUENTUS, Green Blood-pheasant. This beauti- 
ful and curious looking bird is difficult to find in its natural ele- 
ments on higher ranges of Singalillas. Some years back it used to 
be fairly plentiful, beyond Sandakphu. I saw big coveys on several 
occasions some years ago, now it is with difficulty you will meet a 
solitary pair on this side of the range. These birds usually frequent 
thick Rhododendron cover beside bigger Jhoras, generally near water, 
at times they are met with amongst pine forests. Jthaginis feeds 
much on tender pine and juniper stocks and berries. Blood-phea- 
sants present many peculiarities in structure, some of the males have 
as many as five tarsal spurs, usually three are found, according to age 
of the bird. Hillmen tell us that after every two years a fresh 
spur is added, if this reckoning be correct a bird with three spurs 
would be about 6 years old, and that its natural span of life seldom 
goes beyond 10 to 11 years, provided no accident befalls it. These 
birds are allied to Pukras pheasants ; but unlike any of the pheas- 
ants found on eastern Himalayas the Blood-pheasant is tame and 
confiding. It takes a fairly hardened sportsman to shoot them 
down, when he gets into a covey unawares. Some run along the 
ground with startling rapidity in different directions, uttering a 
frightened cackle, like domestic fowls ; a few take to dense cover, 
under which they have been feeding. On such occasions they seem 
to “lose their heads” and make, but a poor attempt to escape. As 
you stand under the highish cover, and watch them, one or more 
will come close to you, or perch a few yards over head, in the utter 
confusion which has followed your sudden appearance in their midst. 
One can easily understand how depredations have been made on 
these interesting and confiding birds. One of my Lepcha compa- 
nions told me that on such occasions, hunters usually “ bagged” the’ 
whole covey which used to consist of 20 of 30 birds. A few general 
remarks as to colour, will suffice to distinguish the Green Blood 
pheasant. In size it is only 17 inches, a little bigger than Lerwa, 
Snow-partridge ; plumage of the male, above, is dark grey, median 
line of feathers is streaked black and buff; buff on the sides, more 
so neck ; a tinge of green on lower back and _ part of wing coverts 
(greater) ; tail grey ; forehead and cheeks black ; crest dull grey, 
feathers centred with buff; breast and lower part of body feathers, 
and flauks pale green ; breast feathers centred, broad, red in colour, 
° 
