BLACK-BREASTED KALEEGE 49 



" As far as I remember, six brace of Kalij Pheasant is the biggest bag I have ever 

 made of these birds, and this was made over practically the same ground as that which 

 is described in the article on jungle-fowl shooting in the last number of the ' Journal.' 



"As a rule, when shooting along these mustard fields bordering the Kopali River 

 one got two to three jungle- fowl to one pheasant, but this time the reverse was the case. 



'' My companions (on the occasion of which I write) consisted of a Mikir tracker and 

 a second Mikir with my rifle, and an odd man to work as beater, jungle cutter, luncheon 

 carrier, etc. This was quite enough for all the beating we should require, for the strips 

 were mostly narrow bits along the banks, shut in on one side by very heavy evergreen 

 forest, and on the other by the shingly banks of the stream. Starting just after day- 

 break, our first jhum, or open bit of cultivation, was occupied only by some jungle-fowl, 

 who were the first to detect our meeting, and gave no chance of a shot, but as we passed 

 through the next bit of forest, a hasty but lucky shot right and left brought down two fat, 

 bronze-backed imperial pigeon, and some quarter of a mile further on we came to a 

 second mustard field. In this we could see some birds feeding about half-way down, 

 though we could not make out exactly what they were in the tall mustard. Leaving my 

 men under cover, I went forward inside the jungle about twenty yards, and when I 

 judged I had gone far enough, notified them with a low whistle to come on. Sneaking 

 along just inside the fringes of forest, I kept about the same distance, or a little more, 

 ahead of the men, and when, frightened by the latter, the pheasant got up, had an easy 

 right and left, adding two more pheasants to the bag. My next shot was at a hen 

 jungle-fowl, as she scurried through the mustard into shelter, just giving me a momen- 

 tary glance as she left the former. Picking her up, we then went on through a patch of 

 semi-burnt cane and grass, missing an old cock jungle-fowl as he got up with a cackle 

 and tremendous flurry on the far side of some charred canes. 



" Two more long snap-shots at running birds are tinkered, and then I have a bit of 

 luck, for we step out of the jungle into a mustard field, right into a family party of Kalij, 

 who are scratching round for food just outside the forest. Quite overcome by the sudden- 

 ness of our appearance, the birds, six in number, take at once to flight, scattering in all 

 directions, but two drop to my shots, and two others who have gone towards the stream 

 are turned back by the sight of some men fishing, and wheel around to their original 

 cover, giving me splendid overhead shots, and both coming down tremendous thumps 

 in response thereto. One of these, however, is a runner, and for some time evades my 

 men in their efforts to catch her, until at last a luckily flung stick bowls her over as she 

 dodges from one bush to another. 



''So we wander on, now through a bit of virgin forest, now through a mustard field, 

 and then through a piece of burnt grass, the black surface showing the pugs of a tiger 

 who has passed by some two or three hours earlier. We follow them to the stream 

 where the tiger has had his drink, and then return to the forest, in which we soon loose 

 all trace of him. 



" Changing my rifle once more for the smooth bore, and leaving stripes to rest in 

 comfort, we turned and worked down the opposite side of the stream towards camp. 

 The first birds we put up are some jungle-fowl who have been drinking before retiring 

 into the forest for their midday siesta. As they fly past us I knock the tail feathers out 

 of the cock leading them with a real bad shot, and bring down a second with a straighter 



VOL. n H 



