MASON AND LEFROY. 225 



animal food of all kinds abounded around them. Where numerous 

 they do much damage to cultivation, and being excessively fond of 

 the buds of trees, are also very destructive to young plantations. 

 ' Make sad havoc with the channa, urad (both vetches), wheat or 

 rice " Colonel Tickell. Mr. Reid remarks that " They live for the 

 most part on grain when procurable, but do not object to insects, 

 and sorry I am to say it snakes ! Years ago- my cook took a 

 small snake, about 8 inches long, from the stomach of one I had 

 given him to clean." Mr. Vidal ' ' In the jungles and forests the Pea- 

 fowl eat various fruits and berries, such as the wild fig (Covillia glo- 

 merata) and the Korinda (Carissa carandus) ; in the neighbourhood of 

 cultivated ground, the crop they particularly affect is maize." Mr. 

 Sanderson " They feed in the grain fields bordering on jungles, 

 and do considerable damage when the grain is nearly ripe, and they 

 move considerable distances at different seasons, tempted by ripen- 

 ing crops or jungle fruits." H. M. G. B. I. I, 84-88. 



They feed on grain, buds, shoots of grass, insects, small lizards 

 and snakes. F. I. IV, 69. Young feed especially on white ants. 

 B. N. H. S. J. IV, 1. Amongst birds, peacocks and parrots are the 

 most annoying to the cultivator. Betoul, D. G., 1907. 



1325. Pavo muticus. Burmese or Japan Peafowl. Cultiva- 

 tion does not appear to entice it far from its leafy fastnesses. H. 

 M. G. B. I. I, 94. 



1326. Argusianus argus. Argus Pheasant. The food consists 

 chiefly of fallen fruit which they swallow whole, especially one about 

 the size and colour of a prune, which is very abundant in the forests 

 in the south ; but they also eat ants, slugs, and insects of various 

 kinds. H. M. G. B. I. I, 102. They feed on fruit and insects. 

 F. I. 4, 72. Vegetable matter and insects. E. B. C. N. H., 207. 



1327. Pnlyplectrum chinquis. Grey Peacock-pheasant. Our 

 Tenasserim specimens proved to have fed upon ants and other i - 

 sects, and on hard seeds. Mr. Inglis remarks : " The Kookies snare 

 numbers ; the bait is a small red berry, of which the bird is very fond." 

 Mr, R. A. Clark ' On the rocky faces of the ' Barak ' banks there 



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