CEYLON JUNGLEFOWL 215 



sharp as rifle shots. Close overhead, so that I was fanned by the disturbed air, a half- 

 hundred golden plovers dashed like flying bullets. I have seldom been so momentarily 

 alarmed. Frightened at the plovers or at my sudden motion, a Junglehen ran out from 

 a bush at my right, cleared another bush without a movement of her wings, and melted 

 into the dark shadows of the underbush. A glance at the cock showed a fleeing figure, 

 running with remarkable speed for the nearest shelter. 



Only the pair of green bee-eaters remained undisturbed, perched side by side on an 

 isolated thorn twig ; first one, then the other, hurtling upward, somersaulting after an 

 insect, and dropping back to its mate. 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 



The Ceylon Junglefowl is confined to the island of that name— the oval pendant to 

 the peninsula of India, measuring roughly one hundred and fifty by two hundred and 

 fifty miles. It maybe said to be generally distributed over the island, being more or less 

 scattered through the dry jungly districts of the low country, and diffused throughout 

 the hills of the Southern and Central Provinces. It is rather rare in the damper, more 

 humid jungles of the maritime portions of the Western Province where Colombo is 

 situated, and the south-western district, and is not common even in the forests of the 

 interior. It is occasionally brought into Colombo and Galle by natives, but very seldom 

 indeed into the former town. In the jungles of the Hewagam and Kayigam Korales its 

 note is seldom or never heard, but further inland, in the Three and Four Korales, 

 in Saffragam, and in the Pasdum Korale, one may often listen to its well-known cry. 

 Likewise in the hilly jungles of the south-western district it is not met with near the sea ; 

 it is found about Oodogamma, and further up at the base of the ranges it becomes more 

 plentiful. On the eastern slopes of the Morowak Korale, where a drier climate prevails, 

 it finds a more congenial home, and along the Wellaway river, and from that eastward 

 it is numerous. In the maritime portion of the south-east it abounds, delighting in the 

 dense Euphorbia scrubs along the sea-coast. From this section of the country round 

 the east coast to the north of the island it is very numerous, and inhabits all the 

 northern forests, extending down the west side as far south as the Kurunegala district. 

 In the hills it is resident, and breeds commonly up to about five thousand feet. On the 

 Nuwara-EUiya plateau and up on the Horton Plajns it is sometimes abundant during 

 the north-east monsoon, coming up from lower down on the hills, and probably, to some 

 extent, from the low country, to feed on the berries of the nilloo. It is probable that 

 some miay remain throughout the year in these uplands. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT 



The home range of the Ceylon Junglefowl varies greatly. It is undoubtedly 

 strictly resident throughout the year in most of the dry maritime districts, but in the low 

 hills and the jungles which fringe the slopes of the higher mountains of the interior it 

 may show a marked seasonal migration. This is induced, not of course on account of 

 change of temperature, but owing to the fruiting of certain food plants localized in well- 

 defined districts, as I have already mentioned in the case of the nilloo berry. Aside 

 from this there is little or no seasonal shifting, and although when the breeding season 



