THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 633 



Pijevalsky gives the following account of the hal3its of the Pallas' 

 Eared Pheasant : — 



" In both these localities these Pheasants inhabit the wooded 

 "mountainous regions, and ascend to a height of even 10,000 

 " feet above the sea level. It is a resident, and remains all the 

 " year round in certain places. Water does not seem to be of 

 " so much necessity to this bird as it is to other species of the 

 "present group; at least, it keeps very often to localities in 

 "the Ala-Shan Mountains where not a drop of water is to be 

 " found. 



" In autumn and winter the}' congregate in small flocks, 

 " probably in families, but very early in spring separate into 

 " pairs, when the males at once commence to crow, i.e., uttering 

 " at intervals a loud disagreeable note somewhat resembling 

 " the cry of a peacock. This usuallj^ occurs in the morning, 

 " but occasionally also during the daj^. In the beginning of 

 " May almost all the females sit on the eggs, the number of 

 " which (according to the statement of natives) varies from five 

 " to seven." 



" After the breeding-season the males at once commence 

 moulting, and attain their fresh plumage onh^ in October 

 again. Generally their feathers ver}' soon get worn, and the 

 birds are in full plumage only for a short time in winter and 

 spring. 



" We did not succeed in finding any young : but the Tangut 

 " informed me that the young are always accompanied by both 

 " parents. The old as well as the 3"0ung run ver}- fast and 

 " are very clever in hiding themselves in thick bushes when 

 "pursued, and generality depend more on their legs than upon 

 " their wings. 



" Like most of the familj'-, these birds are fond of digging 

 "about in the ground in search of roots; and it appears that 

 " they chiefly feed upon plants." 



Crossoptilon auritum harmani, Elwes. 



Uhves^ Horned Pheasant. 



Crossoptilon harmani. — Elwes, Ibis (1881) p. 399, pi. XIII.; 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds B.M. XXII., p. 296 (1893); id., Hand-L. 

 Game Birds I., p. 257 (1895); Dresser, Manual Pal. Birds, p. 673 

 (1903); Stuart Baker, Bull. B.O.C. XXXIII., p. 121 (1914); 

 Elwes, Bull. B.O.C. XXXIII, p. 136 (1914) ; Bailey, Bom. Nat. 

 His. Jour. XXIV., p. 77. 



Vernacidar name. — Cha-nga (Tibet). 



JDescription. — AdAilt Male and Female. — Very similar to aAiritiiin, 

 but has the u.pper parts a dark ashy gvey, almost black on the neck 



