234 CASSELLS BOOK OF BIRDS. 



These birds are found from the western borders of Nepaul to the extreme North-west Himalayas ; 

 they are not very common near Simla and Mussooree, but are more plentiful near Almora. 



" Their usual haunts," says " Mountaineer," " are high up, not far from the snows, in dense 

 and gloomy forests, where they live either alone or in small scattered parties. In winter they descend 

 the hills, and then their favourite haunts are in the thickest parts of the forests of oak, chestnut, 

 and morenda pine, where the box-tree is abundant, and where under the forest trees a luxuriant 

 growth of ' ringalt ' or the hill bamboo forms an underwood in some places almost impenetrable. 

 They keep in companies of from two or three to ten or a dozen or more, not in compact flocks, 

 but scattered widely over a considerable space of forest, so that many at times get quite separated 

 and are found alone." Jerdon tells us, " that if undisturbed, they generally remain pretty close 

 together, and appear to return year after year to the same spot, even though the ground be covered 

 with snow, for they find their living then upon the trees. If driven away from the forest by an 

 unusually severe storm or any other cause, they may be found at this season in small clumps of trees, 

 wooded ravines, or patches of low brushwood. 



"At this season, with the exception of its cry of alarm when disturbed, the Jewar is altogether 

 mute, and is never heard of its own accord to utter a call or note of any kind ; unlike the rest 

 of our Pheasants, all of which occasionally crow or call at all seasgns. When alarmed it utters 

 a succession of wailing cries, not unlike those of a lamb or kid, like the syllables ' waa, waa, waa,' 

 each syllable uttered slowly and distinctly at first, and more rapidly as the bird is hard pressed 

 and about to take wing. Where not repeatedly disturbed, it is not particularly shy, and seldom takes 

 alarm till a person is in its immediate vicinity, when it creeps slowly through the underwood, or flies 

 up into a tree, in the former case continuing its call till again stationary, and in the latter till it has 

 concealed itself among the branches. If several are together all begin to call at once, and run off in 

 different directions, soine mounting into the trees, others running along the ground. When first put 

 up they often alight m one of the nearest trees ; but if again flushed the second flight is generally to 

 some distance, and almost always down-hill. Their flight is rapid, and the whirr produced by the 

 wings peculiar, so that even when the bird is not seen it may be distinguished from any other species. 

 Where their haunts are often visited, either by the sportsmen or the villagers, they are more wary, and 

 if such visits are of regular occurrence and continued for any length of time, they become alert in a 

 very high degree ; so much so that it is impossible to conceive a forest bird more shy or cunning. 

 They then, as soon as aware of the presence of any one in the forest, after calling once or twice, or 

 without doing so at all, fly up into the trees, which near their haunts are almost always evergreens of 

 the densest foliage, and conceal themselves so artfully among the tangled leaves and branches that 

 unless one has be-en seen to fly into a particular tree, and it has been well marked down, it is almost 

 impossible to find them. In spring, as the snow begins to melt on the higher parts of the hills, 

 they entirely leave their winter resorts, and gradually separate and spread themselves through the more 

 remote and distant woods, up to the region of birch and white rhododendron, and almost to the 

 extreme limits of forest. E^rly in April they begin to pair, and the males are then more generally 

 met with than at any other period ; they seem to wander about a great deal, are almost always found 

 alone, and often call, at intervals, all day long. When thus calling, the bird is generally perched on 

 the thick branch of a tree, or the trunk of one which has fallen to the ground, or on a large stone ; 

 the call is similar to the one they utter when disturbed, but it is much louder and only one single 

 note at a time — a loud energetic ' waa,' not unlike the bleating of a lost goat — and can be heard for 

 upwards of a mile. It is uttered at various intervals, sometimes every five or ten minutes for hours 

 together, and sometimes not more than two or three times during the day ; its purport most probably 

 is to invite the females to the place. AVhen the business of incubation is over, the broods, with the 



