i66 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



In Ceylon it is essentially an inhabitant of the dry coastal districts, being perhaps 

 most abundant in the Southern Province, from Hambantotta eastwards. It may be 

 said to be generally distributed throughout the island, except in the hills, being wholly 

 absent from the Kandy-Nuwara Eliya district, and from the western provinces from 

 Puttalam south past Colombo to some distance beyond Galle. 



The Peacock has been established in many places, both within the general limits of 

 its range and elsewhere. In the Andamans, on Ross Island off Port Blair, in five years 

 they have greatly increased in numbers, and when suddenly alarmed fill the air with 

 their cries. But although many have been captured and turned loose on the larger 

 island, they do not thrive, and soon disappear. On St. Helena Peafowl formerly existed 

 in such large numbers that they wrought great havoc in the gardens. So the farmers 

 began systematically to kill them off, and succeeded eventually in exterminating them. 

 These birds have been successfully established in Hungary, where they survive the 

 winters without harm, and increase regularly, raising, however, only two or three in 

 a brood. In America and elsewhere Peafowl are kept on estates, breeding in orchards 

 and bushy fields, and living in a condition of semi-captivity. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT 



Within certain limits the Peafowl is the most sedentary of birds. Unusual drought 

 will, of course, force them to travel to new drinking places, and in the breeding season 

 they retire to deeper, denser jungle than they ordinarily inhabit. But aside from such 

 movements their lives are very regular, and their daily wanderings are only of sufficient 

 extent to enable them to find food and water. When any given food supply is ensured, 

 their visits to it are as regular as those to a drinking place, or their evening return to a 

 favourite roost. Unless I especially indicate otherwise, all my statements in regard to 

 this species apply to the birds which are truly feral and unprotected. For where man- 

 kind never kills or annoys them, the birds, while at full liberty, alter their habits to such 

 an extent that an account devoted to them would give a very imperfect idea of the real 

 life-history of the truly feral bird. So when we see a host of wild Peafowl coming 

 regularly at evening to a temple compound to be fed, we can hardly accept such 

 regularity as characteristic of the species, until we know that in birds of the deep jungle 

 the same love of routine holds good. 



When certain fruits were abundant in southern Ceylon, evening after evening I 

 have visited a narrow water-worn gorge, certain of finding six birds there : a full-grown 

 male feeding with three hens and a half-grown bird, while a short distance away a 

 second-year cock fed by himself. In localization the argus, of course, leads all the 

 pheasants, owing to its specialized dancing-ground ; but the kaleege and the Peafowl 

 certainly excel in this matter of daily regularity of habit. At least in two distinct 

 instances which I observed they even had favourite places for spending the heat of the 

 day, apart both from their feeding-ground and their roost. All this regularity, however, 

 on the part of the jungle birds is dependent upon their being undisturbed. If one 

 comes suddenly upon them when feeding and thoroughly frightens them, several days 

 may elapse before they will return to that spot. 



The Peafowl is a bird of the low, hot country, seldom found at any great height 



