. THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 21 



" or detached copse in which I had found it, and from which 

 " it seemed impossible for it to escape, but I invariably failed 

 "in the attempt, a failure aggravated by mj^ titter bewil- 

 " dernient at its unaccountable disappearance. 



"The cock birds begin to call at six in the morning, and 

 " when one has fairly commenced, the curious ascending scale 

 " of notes is taken up from one to another, until the wood re- 

 -sounds Vv'ith their cries." 



Most writers give the Ceylon Spur-Fowl the credit of being a 

 strong swift flyer when once it is forced to take to wing, and its 

 flight is possibly stronger than that of its Indian relations whose 

 powers in this respect are not very great. Like them, however, it 

 is a skiilker of the most crafty and persistent description, and 

 very hard to flush. Even dogs only force it up into the nearest 

 thick bush or tree, where it will lie concealed and quiet until it 

 thinks all danger has passed. 



Everyone seems to agree that it is hard to rear from eggs and 

 almost impossible to tame if caught. If precautions are taken to 

 prevent its killing itself against the roof or sides of its cage or 

 enclosure when startled, or if they do not quickly die from unsuit- 

 able food or refusal of all food, thej^ still always remain shy, wild 

 birds, resenting observation and also the presence of other birds or 

 beasts. 



They are constantly trapped hj the natives, who la}" snares for 

 tliem in the places they most frequent for feeding purposes. A 

 favourite trap described to me by a Mr. Kellow, formerly a tea-plan- 

 ter in Ceylon, is said to consist of little triangles made by two fences 

 ■with, open bases and open apexes, in the latter of M-hich are numer- 

 ous nooses into which the birds walk, led thereto by the fences 

 which they run along in preference to jumping or flying over. 



They are also said to be decoyed into a ring of nooses by a captive 

 bird, for the cocks are very quarrelsome, and the cocks in the 

 vicinity soon come to the challenge of another invading their 

 sanctuaries. As far as I could ascertain, however, the decoy system 

 was one introduced into Ceylon by immigrant Tea labourers, and 

 used by them only. 



Legge remarks that in their manner of fighting the males remind- 

 ed him of the game-cock, both in the way they elevated and depres- 

 sed their heads and in the w^ay they imitated one another's action. 



The flesh is very good eating, and has been likened to that of 

 Grouse. Their own food is both vegetarian and insectivorous, and 

 they are particularl}- fond of the ripe berries of that imported pest of 

 Ceylon, the Lantana bush. Hart says that their diet is principally 

 ^vhite ants, and various other insects and their larvas. 



Its powers of ventriloquism have already been rc^ferred to above, 

 and this has been corroborated by many observers. So great indeed 



