70 • GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 



tinguishable, and the dimensions differ very little^ 

 though the present species is slightly the smaller. 

 The legs are horny grey, darker than in the white- 

 crested Kaleege ; the face of course red, as usual 

 in this group. 



This is the only Kaleege found in most parts- 

 of Nepal ; its nesting habits and eggs appear not 

 to be recorded. 



The Black-backed Kaleege. 



Gennceus melanonotus. Faun. Brit. Ind., 

 Birds, Vol. IV, p. 91. 



Native name : — 'Kar-rHyak, Lepcha. 



This species resembles the last in size and in 

 having a black crest, but differs in having the upper 

 surface entirely rich blue-black, with no white 

 edgings on the rump ; the hen is like that of the- 

 preceding species. 



The present bird inhabits the Sikkim Hima- 

 layas, extending on the one side into Eastern 

 Nepal and on the other into Bhutan, but its exact 

 range is not yet known. It is, like the others, 

 a bird of moderate elevations. It breeds from 

 March to July, according to the elevation it inhab- 

 its, and apparently differs from the white-crested 

 Kaleege in making no nest at all and often laying 

 fewer eggs. 



As wiU have been seen, the Nepal Kaleege is- 

 intermediate in colour — as it is in geographical 

 range — between this species and the white-crested, 

 having the black crest of the present bird and the 

 white-barred rump of the white-crested species. It 



