GAME BIRDS 27 



The Burmese Pheasant, or Yit, is a beautiful bird of silvery 

 grey. When caught young and well fed they are capital 

 birds for the table. They are easily tamed, and often become 

 a nuisance, as their constant cry is very irritating, and as they 

 wander in and out of the house and are off and on to the table 

 even at meal-times. They are common in all hilly parts, but 

 near Zeagoung they were particularly plentiful. 



The Jungle Fowl is similar to those in Assam and over the 

 greater part of India, but perhaps a little smaller. It is a 

 game little fellow, and at times affords excellent sport. I used 

 to take up my position on an elephant and have them beaten 

 up towards me, and once or twice I found them as plentiful 

 as pheasants in a preserve in England. Once on the wing, 

 they are very swift and strong fliers, and require a good blow 

 to knock them over. 



Phayre's Francolin is also a very handsome bird, something 

 between a painted partridge and a black Francolin as found 

 in Assam. It perches on trees, and its constant cry of 

 "Kha-Ka-Kah" is to be heard every morning and evening 

 along the right bank from Akoutoung and inland to the 

 Yomahs, but it is not known on the Sittang side. 



The Burmese, when they cut their paddy, leave a good deal 

 of stubble, and I have had capital sport about November in 

 the dried-up Dhan Kates, which were situated at the foot of 

 some high land. When flushed, it rises perpendicularly for a 

 considerable distance, and then flies off horizontally. If fired 

 at as it rises, even the best shots are liable to miss it by firing 

 beneath it ; but if one waits until it commences its horizontal 

 flight no bird is easier to kill. The Burmese keep these 

 Francolins in cages why, I don't know, as I never saw them 

 used for fighting, which is so common in India. 



Corn Quail are not plentiful in Lower Burma, but I have 

 shot some there, and in the islands in the Irrawady going 

 towards Pagan. The Button and Rain Quail are very plentiful 

 in the season, and afford good sport. It is best to use only 

 very small shot, and not too much of it, or of powder. 



Of the Plovers, the golden and the grey are the only ones 

 worth shooting, but the Peewits are very annoying when one 

 is after big game, as they hover about screeching out, " Pity to 



