NEPAL KALEEGE 27 



The crops of two of these pheasants contained the following food : 



Male : 3 flat seeds ; i long stem of a fern ; many small leaves. 



Female: 20 termite workers; i large black ant; i small mollusk ; 12 fruits of 

 Eurya sp. ; several unknown seeds and berries ; numbers of leaves. 



A female shot on May 31 would shortly have laid at least four eggs. 



Scully says that these kaleege are fond of thick forest and are *' usually seen in 

 pairs or in parties of from three to ten, often feeding on the ground near cultivated 

 patches at the borders of forest." 



''These birds seem very fond of perching on trees, and it is usually in this position 

 that one comes across them in forcing one's way through forest which has dense 

 undergrowth. On such occasions the kaleege first gives notice of its whereabouts by 

 whirring down with great velocity from its perch, and then running rapidly out of sight 

 to the shelter of some thicket. In the winter the birds roost on trees at the foot of the 

 hills, and the plan for making a bag is to post oneself about sunset under some trees 

 which they are known to frequent, and await their coming. The birds are then soon 

 heard threading their way through the jungle towards their favourite trees, and at once 

 fly up and perch. When once settled for the night in this way they are not easily 

 alarmed, and I have shot four or five birds in quick succession before the rest of the 

 party would clear out to quieter quarters. Occasionally, too, one can get a shot at the 

 kaleege as they cross a hill-path through the forest on their way to or from some stream. 



" Great numbers of the Nepal Kaleege are snared and brought into Khatmandu for 

 sale. The birds bear confinement in the valley very well, and I reared several chicks to 

 maturity." 



The subject of the validity of the Nepal Kaleege as a distinct species may be 

 summed up in a few words. More than fifty-five years ago ornithologists were inclined 

 to admit but a single kaleege. Later, two were allowed, and Blyth added another, but 

 was convinced that the Nepal bird was a hybrid between the white-crested and 

 black-backed kaleege. 



Now, however, that we have abundant material and more certain knowledge of the 

 range of these birds, we can say with certainty that there are four well-defined species of 

 kaleege extending along the southern slopes of the Himalayas and forming a linear 

 series stretching from Kashmir to Burma, where the genus spreads out into the 

 wonderfully interesting and puzzling series of wild hybrids marking the transition into 

 the lineated kaleege and the silver pheasants. 



DETAILED DESCRIPTION 



Adult Male. — A long, hairy crest, as in the white-crested kaleege. Upper 

 plumage in general black, with a strong metallic gloss. This is deep steel-blue on 

 the crown, crest and neck, while the mantle, back and rump show considerable 

 purple, and the wing-coverts and secondaries are predominately green. The shafts 

 of the mantle and back are white. Mantle, scapulars, some of the tertiaries and 

 long upper tail-coverts very slightly fringed with white, usually in the form of a 

 scanty mottling. This increases on the back and rump, where it forms a solid fringe 

 of white, about one-half as wide as in G. albocristatus. 



