24 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol.XXVII. 



" are not confined to the spot where I shot that brace, T. have 



"seen and heard them at other similar places, at about the 



" same elevation, in the neighbourhood of Mnssorie, but to the 



"best of mj recollection only dming the winter, but of this 



"latter I am not sure." 



Oapt. Hutton's boys knocked over three specimens, one of which 



was destroyed, and again a fourth in December. Hutton writes 



of these as follows : — 



" There were only 5 or 6 birds in this covey, and all }Oung 



" apparently. This one was shot Avitli a pistol, as we find the 



"gun of little use, the birds refusing to take wing and only 



" running among the long high grass when pressed, and allow- 



"ing themselves to be nearlj^ trodden upon before they will 



" move. During the forenoon they wander to feed up among 



" the long-grass to which they obstinately cling, feeding on the 



" fallen seeds, and their presence being made known by their 



" short Quail-like note. They will not cotne out into the open 



" ground, and in the afternoon they descend into sheltered 



" hollows amongst the grass and brushwood." 



Major Carwithin records of the bird shot by hip-- that it was shot 



by him on the eastern slopes of Sher-ka-danda w^ev: '. ''-ig; for 



Cheer-Pheasant. The ground is described as ■ 



patches of brushwood here and there." 



The above contains all we know about these bird 

 thought that they were migratory birds probably -;' Jn 



South-Eastern Chinese Tibet. Judging, however, i; l, > "<^ 



know of their habits, I should think it is more probable that they 

 are resident birds, and that Mussorie and Naini-Tal probably form 

 the outposts of their habitat in native Garhwal and Nepal. Their 

 skulking habits and the extraordinar}?^ persistence with which they 

 refuse to fl}" would suffice to keep them unknown to any but the 

 most observant of sportsmen, and as the few that are flushed gene- 

 rally would get up when men were expecting pheasants, they would 

 probably not waste shot upon such small i'rj. 



Probably we shall have to wait until someone with time, patience 

 and acute powers of observation makes a regular business of once 

 more locating and obtaining these birds. Once found, their very- 

 habits should make them an easj^ pi'ey to clever netters, and perhaps 

 we jnaj see some before long in the Zoological Gardens in India 

 and Loudon. 



{To be continued.) 



