THE MOONAL PHEASANT 



sportsman to make the bird fly from the tree, 

 he would be unable to obtain a shot. 



The brilliant, glossy black of the cock bird 

 is a strikingly handsome plumage ; but the hen 

 is, like the female of most of the pheasants, a 

 homely brown bird. The natives, taking advan- 

 tage of the pugnacity of the cocks, capture 

 numbers by using a male bird as a decoy, with 

 running nooses set in proper positions all round 

 him. The derrick is found in the Coosya and 

 Garo hills up to an elevation of 4,000 feet. 



THE GREY PEACOCK PHEASANT 

 (Polyplectron Thibetanwri) 



This beautiful but rather rare bird is found in 

 the hills above the valley of Assam, and in Hill 

 Tipperah, Chittagong, Arakan, etc. 



THE MOONAL PHEASANT (Lophophorus impeyanus) 



This magnificent bird is found throughout the 

 Himalayas in suitable localities. The cock is a 

 gorgeous exposition of metallic colours of diverse 

 and striking hues, and weighs up to 5j Ibs. in 

 the case of a large specimen. The hen, whose 

 plumage is brown, is rather smaller than her 

 consort. 



The moonal requires forest as well as high 

 elevation. For shooting this bird, the spring is 

 the best season. The sportsman, sending his men 

 to walk in line on the hillside above him, must 



387 



