376 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



on a few leaves in a hollow of the ground. 

 They are creamy white in colour, but 

 some eggs are occasionally stippled with 

 brown or reddish grey. They measure 

 from 1*75 to 2 in length and from 1*24 

 to 1*49 in breadth. 



The male has the crown dull orange. 

 The neck and mantle are golden yellow, 

 streaked with black. The back and all 

 the smaller wing-coverts are brilliant 

 orange-red, streaked with black. The 

 rump is glossy violet, each feather edged 

 with bright chestnut-red. The tail is 

 black, glossed with blue. The greater 

 wing-coverts and all the quills of the wing 

 are brown or black. There is a gorget of 

 brilliant violet below the throat. The 

 whole breast and the greater part of the 

 belly are brilliant orange-red with brown 

 streaks. The remainder of the belly and 

 the thighs are black. 



The female has the crown blackish and 

 the remainder of the head and the whole 

 neck, which is covered with very short 

 feathers, brown, mottled with rufous buff. 

 The mantle is dark brown, the feathers 

 mottled and edged with rufous buff. 

 The back, rump, tail-coverts and the 

 smaller wing-coverts are yellowish brown, 

 minutely freckled with black. The tail 



