22 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



The hen, which has a very small comb and no 

 wattles, is of a partridge-brown above with no 

 distinct hackles, and white beneath with black 

 edges to the feathers, getting narrower further 

 back ; her legs are dull faint yellow, and her comb 

 a very dull red. 



This bird, which is very striking in appearance 

 and much admired by everyone who notices it, is 

 confined to Southern and Western India, inhabit- 

 ing hilly jungle and ranging even to the tops of 

 the Nilgris and Pulneys. "It is found, " says 

 Blanford, ' ' near the eastern coasts as far north 

 as the Godavari, and in the Central Provinces its 

 limit is some distance east of Sironcha, Ghanda 

 and Seoni. It is found throughout the Nerbudda 

 valley west of Jubbulpore, and in parts of Central 

 India and Rajputana, as far as the Aravalis and 

 Mount Abu, but no farther to the northward or 

 westward. It is met with near Baroda, but has 

 not been observed in Kattyawar." In spite of 

 the local intrusion of the red jungle-fowl into the 

 grey's territory, mentioned in the account of the 

 former species, it will be seen that on the whole 

 their habitats are very distinct ; but of course 

 they meet occasionally. Jerdon says that near 

 the junction of the Indravati with the Godavari 

 he heard both species crowing within a few yards of 

 each other, and shot one bird which was an im- 

 doubted hybrid — a remarkable fact, for hybrids 

 between such distinct species as these are rare in 

 nature. 



The grey jungle-fowl differs very much in voice 

 from the red bird and its poultry-yard descend- 

 ant ; but as authors say, the crow is very hard to 

 describe, sounding more like a cackle, and the bird 



