CHINESE SILVER KALEEGE 65 



In spite of numerous repetitions of the fact, there seems to be no definite record 

 of a Silver Kaleege in Chekiang. The Abbd David asserted as long ago as 1877 that 

 it was becoming very rare in its wild haunts, but gave no reason for the statement. 

 In Fokien several naturalists have found it in numbers, and back from the sea-coast 

 I observed it in several isolated parts of the country. 



There is considerable shooting and trapping of the birds on the part of the 

 natives, but no systematic collecting for their feathers as I noted in Yunnan. One 

 method reported by the Chinese is to build a rough shelter of boughs and to scatter 

 around it quantities of grain. When the birds have become accustomed to come day 

 after day for food, the hunter conceals himself in the shelter and shoots the kaleege 

 as they come to the food. The dead birds are not disturbed, and by remaining quietly 

 concealed, it is said that as many as eight may be obtained in a single morning. I 

 have described a similar disregard for the noise of gun-fire on the part of related 

 species of Burmese kaleege. The Chinese hunters are also reported to shoot the 

 birds by torchlight from their roosts. It is said that the civil mandarins wear a 

 Silver Kaleege embroidered on the heart and back badges of their official dresses to 

 indicate their rank. It is certainly one of the favourite subjects for decorative 

 painting and embroidery among the Chinese. 



The insight which I could gain into their lives showed that their habits differed 

 in no way from other kaleege. I never saw a bird at mid-day, but in early morning 

 and late afternoon their noisy scratching would reveal their whereabouts, and a 

 careful stalk would sometimes give a chance for a shot or a glimpse of white and 

 black plumage. I observed no regularity of movements, no accustomed trail toward 

 water, and so was unable to head them off or intercept them. They seemed to wander 

 about with but little definite direction in view, aad I could locate no roosts. 



The food of those I examined consisted chiefly of insects, such as grubs and 

 wire-worms, together with a less quantity of various kinds of berries, and occasionally 

 flower petals and leaves. La Touche tells of four eggs brought in by a Chinaman 

 said to belong to the Silver Kaleege. This was in Central Fokien. Two of the eggs 

 were broken. The others measured respectively 48 by 37 and 48 by 32 mm. In 

 captivity the Chinese Silver Kaleege is one of the readiest breeders. Indeed no fewer 

 than seventy-two fertile eggs have been laid by three hens in a season. The eggs 

 are broad ovals, rather glossy and without pigment markings. They vary in ground 

 colour from pale to warm reddish buff, usually cafd au lait, and sometimes with 

 small white spots of lime. They measure from 41 to 54 mm. in length, and 38 to 41 in 

 breadth. The average of many eggs is 39 by 51 mm. From four to six eggs seem 

 to form a complete set, and the period of incubation is twenty-five or twenty-six days. 



There is great variation in length of life, some birds dying with no apparent 

 ailment, while others live in perfect health for many years. Records made in the 

 London Zoo show that of thirty-eight individuals the average length of life was a 

 little less than two years, while the maximum was nine and a half years. There 

 are other authentic records of cock birds which have lived twelve, eighteen and even 

 twenty-one years. 



Birds both living and dead are brought into the large Chinese cities for sale, 

 such as Foochow, Amoy and Canton. But, as Swinhoe says of the Canton birds, 



VOL. II K 



