216 Lloyd's natural history. 



The'peculiar grass-green colour characteristic of the males of 

 this genus is not seen in any other species of Game-Bird. The 

 only other bird of this Order with green plumage is the female 

 of the Red-Crested Wood Partridge (Rol/ulus roulroul), but in 

 this instance the colour is much darker. 



Habits. — Mr. Hume publishes the following notes by Hodg 

 son, which give some idea of the bird's habits : — " This species 

 is common in Nepal in flocks of twenty to thirty in the same 

 situations as the Moonal, that is to say, in the higher forests and 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of the snow, even outside, 

 though always near, the forests. 



" They greatly affect the clumps of Mountain Bamboo, and 

 feed about on the ground amongst these, much like domestic 

 fowls, turning over the leaves and grasses with their feet, 

 scratching about in the ground, and picking up insects, grass, 

 seeds, grain, and wild fruit. 



" They do not eat the bulbous roots of which the Moonal 

 is so fond. On any alarm the whole flock utter a sharp alarm- 

 note {ship, ship), and scuttle away. 



" In the winter the birds come southward a little, but never 

 approach the Great Valley. Numbers are caught in November 

 and December, and in their own haunts they are by no means 

 rare. Packs are often seen consisting of as many as seventy 

 to one hundred birds. They ascend and descend with the 

 snow, and are easily captured, being fearless and stupid. They 

 prefer somewhat inaccessible places. Their flight is short and 

 feeble." 



Sir J. Hooker, who met with the Blood Pheasant in Eastern 

 Nepal and Sikhim at elevations of from io,ooo to 14,000 feet, 

 remarks : " During winter it appears to burrow under or in holes 

 amongst the snow; for I have snared it in January in regions 

 thickly covered with snow, at an altitude of 12,000 feet. I 

 have seen the young in May. The principle food of the bird 

 consists of the tops of the pine and juniper in spring, and the 



