GREY JUNGLE FOWL 239 



HOME LIFE 



There are records of these birds breeding from October to July. As for example : 

 Nilgiris, March and April ; Ootacamund, October, November, and December ; Coonor, 

 May and June ; Satara, March and April ; Mysore, November to July ; Mt. Abu, 

 March to mid-June ; Kanara, October to April. In fact, there is one record from South 

 Travancore of a nest and eggs found on August 20. 



The courtship of the Grey differs in no essential particular from that of the red 

 junglefowl. The approach, the beginning, and the climax, are all similar. 



Despite some arguments to the contrary, they are fully as pugnacious and 

 courageous as the red junglefowl, and their well-developed spurs show that their 

 encounters must be far from harmless jousts. A writer from the Nilgiris says that 

 their pugnacity is something incredible. " On one occasion, when my brother was out 

 shooting, he heard in the jungle near him the peculiar under-toned notes that the cocks 

 emit when fighting. After a few minutes the sound ceased, and on reaching the spot 

 whence the sounds had proceeded, he found two Junglecocks dead, and one of his dogs 

 by them. On examining the birds, both their heads proved to bear the marks of the 

 dog's teeth, which could only be accounted for by the supposition that they were so busy 

 fighting that they failed to observe the dog's approach, and were so close by pecking each 

 other's heads that the dog seized both heads at once ; for if she had seized only one, the 

 other bird would have been out of reach before she could have made a second bite." 

 The encounters usually take place in the morning, soon after the challenges begin. 

 A mated bird seems to have its own particular beat and sends its alar and vocal 

 challenges from its perch, awaiting the acceptance and approach of a rival. The 

 unmated birds are probably those who are the actual aggressors and whose advance 

 precipitates the battle. This explains the fact of two birds, within a short distance of 

 each other, crowing and challenging continually day after day without attack. Both 

 are probably mated, and concerned only with defending their chosen section of jungle 

 and their mate. The monsoon period is the time of these encounters, while at other 

 seasons, when, as I have related, many cocks and hens are temporarily associated in 

 feeding, there is no hostility exhibited between the cocks. 



While a cock may mate with two or three hens under certain circumstances, I 

 believe this to be unusual, and that monogamy is the normal condition. This view is 

 strengthened by the fact that while the cock has nothing to do with incubation, and in 

 reality keeps at a considerable distance from his sitting mate, yet when the young are 

 hatched he is frequently seen with them, taking his share in finding food. Such a habit 

 could hardly have become established were he polygamous. 



Within narrow limits the nest itself is rather variable. It may be a mere natural 

 depression in the ground, devoid of any lining whatever, or it may contain the debris of 

 leaves, grass or moss which existed in it when chosen by the bird. Usually the parent 

 scratches out a hollow, almost always close against the trunk of a tree or under the 

 shelter of some bush, which is lined with dead leaves and feathers. There are a number 

 of records of the eggs being laid on the top of dead, half-decayed stumps, from two to 

 four feet above the ground. Indeed, this seems to be a habit which is on the increase, 



