170 A FIRST LIST OF THE 



white and black, are eagerly sought after ; the former are an 

 especial weakness of our bird, and the only food on which it 

 thrives in captivity. During the hot-weather Pheasants eat 

 the fig of the Peepul ravenously ; and I have shot birds with 

 nothing but this food in the stomach. 



" The breeding season begins about the 1 st March, and by the 

 end of the month all the hens have commenced laying. It is 

 during this month only that the male makes that curious noise 

 with his wings which seems peculiar to the Kalij group. It may 

 be imitated very fairly by holding a pocket-handkerchief by 

 two opposite corners and extending the arms with a jerk. This 

 noise, made only by the male, is undoubtedly a challenge to 

 other cocks. I have frequently hidden myself near a bird thus 

 engaged, and on two occasions I shot cock birds running with 

 great excitement towards the sound. 



"The eggs and nest are described in Nests and Eggs, 

 Part III. 



" The chickens, as soon as they are hatched, are very strong on 

 their legs, and run with great speed. I was fortunate enough 

 to capture portions of four broods. It is astonishing in what a 

 short time, the little birds make themselves invisible. It is 

 difficult to secure more than two out of one batch. It is a case 

 of pouncing on them at once, or losing them. The mother is a 

 great coward, running away at the slightest alarm, and thus 

 contrasting very unfavorably with the Jungle Fowl, which keeps 

 running round and round the intruder with great anxiety till 

 her young ones are in safety. 



" The young are very difficult to rear. From some cause or 

 other they become paralysed, lose the use of their legs, languish, 

 and die. 



" In the chicken from the egg the top of the head is fulvous, 

 albescent on the forehead. There is a stripe from the base of the 

 upper mandible to the eye ; also a black line from the posterior 

 corner of the eye, passing under the ear coverts, and terminating 

 at the back of the head. The whole lower surface is white, with 

 a tinge of fulvous ; upper neck, back, and rump, black. Two 

 conspicuous fulvous white lines run from the shoulder to the 

 root of the tail along the sides of the body, one on either side ; 

 quills, brown, much freckled with fulvous; and the greater coverts, 

 largely tipped with white. 



" The adult plumage is assumed at the autumn moult, the 

 white streaks on the breast and belly disappearing with age, and 

 being nearly entirely absent in very old cocks. 



" This Pheasant is not very shy ; on the contrary, it is rather 

 tame ; but it has the habit of sneaking quietly away, and very 

 few birds will be seen by one who does not know its peculiari- 

 ties. It never takes wing unless suddenly surprised, when it 



