GREY JUNGLEFOWL 241 



The crop of one young chick was filled with soft vegetable matter, some tiny beetles, 

 and a single small moth. The colours and pattern of the young bird, yellowish-buff 

 with the characteristic broad black line through the head and eye, is of great value in 

 breaking up the general outline and approximating the hues of the jungle ddbris. This 

 down gives place quickly to the juvenile plumage, and the first annual moult brings the 

 bird into adult garb. About June or July the old cocks begin to moult their hackles, 

 and possibly, sometimes, their longest tail feathers, the former being replaced at once by 

 a short temporary plumage. Later in the year, these short eclipse feathers are replaced 

 with the resplendent whitish or yellow hackles, and by October the bird is in perfect 

 feather, and clears his throat for the first challenge. 



RELATION TO MAN 



Natives capture the Grey Junglefowl both by pegging out decoy birds, which challenge 

 and thus attract other cocks, and by means of nooses and spring traps. When a gun is 

 available, the jungle natives put a plan into operation which seldom fails of its purpose. 

 They make a blind of brush and leaves near a spring of water, and wait patiently 

 hour after hour until the birds come to drink. When there are other springs in the 

 neighbourhood they hang pieces of white cloth about to frighten the fowl away, and 

 thus make certain of their visiting the spring where they are keeping watch. Large 

 numbers are killed annually in this way in the north. Although the birds are invariably 

 thin, and consequently tough, the flesh is eaten by the natives. The hackles are valued 

 by the makers of artificial flies for fishing, and great quantities are exported to Europe 

 for that purpose. 



In the Ghats, while the birds are still numerous in places, their numbers have 

 been greatly decimated by the numerous snares which the natives set around every patch 

 of rice. The jungles and dense bamboo clumps offer a safe haven for this species, and 

 as long as such exist, it is in no immediate danger of extermination. It does not adapt 

 itself to deforestation, however, and when any considerable area is brought under 

 cultivation, the Grey Junglefowl retreats to the nearest dense coverts. The game laws 

 in the Nilgiris are very generally respected by white sportsmen, and prohibit Junglefowl 

 shooting from April i to September 30. 



The best time for shooting Grey Junglefowl is from November to the end of 

 March, as during that time their plumage is in the most perfect condition. Indeed, 

 the birds are worth little else than the beauty of their feathers, for the flesh, as I have 

 said, is very dry and hard, and even the breast possesses little real flavour. Although at 

 times food is as abundant as could be desired, and their crops will be filled to bursting 

 with succulent grain and seeds, yet these birds seem never to become fat, but always, 

 like an athlete, to be in perfect condition for exercising their senses and their muscles to 

 the utmost in detecting and avoiding danger. 



"Their great timidity and watchfulness," says Davidson, ''result in their yielding 

 much less sport than the Red Junglefowl. You may get these latter in standing crops 

 and in many other similar situations without any extraordinary precautions, but the 

 Grey Junglefowl never goes more than a few yards inside the fields, and if a stick 

 cracks, or a sound is heard anywhere within fifty yards, he vanishes into the jungle. 



VOL. 11 



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