192 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



drongos send their hoarse cries down from the tree-tops, their wings flicking showers 

 of drops from the drenched foliage. 



Several great leaden forms take shape on the bars of sand up-wind, and at last I 

 make out a quartette of statuesque buffalo, all with noses outstretched toward us, 

 standing half on the sand, half in the water. But of far greater interest are five in- 

 distinct shapes moving about far down at the other end of the bar. Resting my glass 

 on the edge of my bunk, I see dimly through the moist lenses a flock of Green Peafowl. 

 They have seen us long before, but as my Malays are fast asleep, they are as yet only 

 suspicious. We may be harmless, a huge tree stranded during the night. Two have 

 sweeping trains which clear the sand neatly as they walk. Now and then a bird stands 

 quite erect and flaps his wings vigorously, probably to rid the feathers of excess of 

 moisture. In fact, I can even see the others shake their heads as the shower of flying 

 drops sprays over them. Two young of the year are much more active than the others, 

 running here and there, chasing one another, stopping suddenly to scratch among the 

 gravel. 



A passing log draws the attention of the Peafowl, and they all stand motionless 

 watching it pass. The sun shines brightly for a moment, the mists swirl upward and 

 the air is clear, showing the long range of dark hills beyond the trees. From up-river 

 comes the invariable morning chorus, peal after peal of rollicking laughter, of the 

 serious-faced gibbons, a family of wa-was in some distant tree-top. Then a dense cloud 

 sweeps across the sun, and a rush of wind and fog fills the air with thick, grey twilight. 

 A sudden shower pits the smooth surface of the river, and from the depths of all this 

 concentrated moisture rings out the wild, unrestrained cry of a Peacock. 



Half an hour later the sun bursts through and burns up the last shred of mist, but 

 the sand-bar is deserted. Birds and buffaloes have silently gone their way. I clap for 

 breakfast and prepare for a plunge and a long day's matching of my senses and wood- 

 craft against those of the wary Peafowl. 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION 



The Green Peafowl is found in Chittagong in extreme West Central Burma, but 

 does not occur in Assam. An isolated family of these birds was once observed in 

 Assam, but it soon disappeared and doubtless consisted of birds which had escaped 

 from captivity. From this latitude it extends southward through Arrakan and Pegu, 

 throughout the entire length of Tenasserim. It is found to the east along the Upper 

 Chindwin, the Bhamo District, the southern Shan States, and south through Siam and 

 Cochin China, although from the unexplored character of these two latter countries 

 we know none of the details of distribution. From Tenasserim southward the Peafowl 

 is found throughout the long narrow neck of the Malay Peninsula, from coast to coast 

 as far south as Kedah, and even down the Perak River almost as far as Kuala Kangsar. 

 This is on the western slope of the Peninsula, but south of this point it is entirely absent 

 from this side. On the east slope from the coast to the very foot-hills of the central 

 mountains it is not uncommon, and it extends throughout Pahang into north-eastern 

 Johore. The records from "Malacca " are probably erroneous, and the skins so labelled 

 doubtless only came into the hands of the Europeans through that early port of trade. 



The Green Peafowl is absent from Borneo and Sumatra, but reappears in Java. In 



