The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



see one of these birds running across a road in 

 the hills. This must not lead the observer to 

 think that jungle-fowl spend most of their 

 time in sprinting across roads. The fact of 

 the matter is that the fowl tribe do not appre- 

 ciate their food unless they have to scratch for 

 it. Paths and roads are highly scratchable 

 objects, hence they are largely resorted to for 

 food ; further, they are used for the purpose of 

 the daily dust-bath in which every self-respect- 

 ing fowl indulges. If these birds are disturbed 

 when feeding or bathing, they do not make for 

 the nearest cover as most other birds do : they 

 insist on running across the road, thereby giving 

 the grateful sportsman a clear shot. The 

 domestic rooster has the same habit. So has 

 the Indian child. To test the truth of these 

 assertions, it is only necessary to drive briskly 

 along a street at the side of which children or 

 fowls are playing in perfect safety. At the 

 sight of the horse, the child or hen, as the case 

 may be, makes a dash for the far side of the 

 road, and passes almost under the horse's nose. 

 The fowl always gets across safely. The child 

 is not so fortunate. 



Two species of jungle-fowl have partitioned 



the Indian peninsula between them. The red 



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