Mr. J. C. Melliss vn the Birds of St. Helena. 103 



have two parties, one at the bottom of the valley and one at the 

 top of the enclosing hills, in order to be sure of any sport at all. 

 The birds also being very wild, and the coast very rugged, it is 

 exceedingly difficult to get at them. They generally make their 

 nests in the ledges of rock and in the samphire-bushes {Salsola 

 salsa) on the open barren plains. Cats are their great enemies, 

 and destroy both eggs and young. Although there appears 

 to be no record to show whence the Partridge was introduced 

 to St. Helena, it is most probably the Chukar-Partridge of 

 Northern India ; and as it differs somewhat in plumage, possibly 

 change of cliuiate or food may have produced the change. A 

 closer examination of the bird, however, is desirable. 



Phasianus turquatus, Gm. Ring-necked Pheasant. Hub. 

 China. 



Cavendish mentions Pheasants being found in St. Helena as 

 early as 1588 in the following words : — 



" There are likewise no less plenty of Pheasants in the island, 

 which are also very big and fat." They still exist abundantly, 

 inhabiting the interior of the Island, and quite keep up the 

 characteristics mentioned by Cavendish. They are protected 

 by game-laws, which permit them to be killed, on payment of 

 the license, for six weeks in the summer or autumn of each 

 year; and hundreds of them are generally killed during one 

 shooting-season. It finds plenty of covert, and generally makes 

 its nest in the long tufty fields of Cow-grass {Paspalum scrobi- 

 culatum) . 



Gallus bankiva, Temm. Common Fowl. Hab. India. 



Reared abundantly in the Island; and on the high lands exists 

 in a state almost as wild as Pheasants. The Spanish, large 

 black-and-white Malabar, and other breeds are kept. 



Pavo cristatus, Linn. Pea-Fowl. Hab. India. 



None now remain in the Island ; but I include it here 

 because it once existed in a feral state. It is stated that 

 it inhabited the high lauds and ridges, under cover chiefly of 

 the indigenous plants ; but the farmers found it so destructive 

 to their gardens, that they took every opportunity of killing it ; 

 consequently, about half a century ago, they were exterminated. 



