28 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



tinues at it for hours together. In the higher forests, large open 

 plots occur quite free from trees or underwood, and early in the 

 morning or towards evening, these may often be seen dotted over 

 with Monauls, all busily engaged at their favourite occupation. 



" The Monaul roosts in the larger forest trees, but in summer 

 when near or above their limits, will often roost on the ground 

 in some steep rocky spot. The female makes her nest under a 

 small overhanging bush or tuft of grass, and lays five eggs of a 

 dull white, speckled with reddish brown ; the chicks are hatched 

 about the end of May. The flesh is considered by some as 

 nearly equal to Turkey, and by others as scarcely eatable. In 

 autumn and winter, many, particularly females and young birds 

 are excellent, and scarcely to be surpassed in flavour or delicacy 

 by any of the tribe ; while from the end of winter most are found to 

 be the reverse. They are easily kept in confinement, and I would 

 imagine, might, without much difficulty, be naturalized in Europe." 

 The Monaul has lately bred in the Zoological Gardens of London, 

 as well as,* some years previously, in those of the Earl of Derby. 

 The latter, in a communication to Mr. Gould, stated that one 

 female laid thirteen or fourteen eggs on one occasion ; and that the 

 eggs were very pale birff, with small spots of reddish brown, very 

 like those of the Capercailzie. They were figured in Jardine's 

 tributions to Ornithology for 1850. 



Near the Monaul perhaps should be placed the Snow-pheasants, 



Crossoptilon, with two species, C. auritum, Pallas, and C. tibetanum, 

 Hodgson. These beautiful birds are white, with the tail glossy 

 blue green, and are both from the highlands of Central Asia. 



Gray, in his List of Genera, places them between Pucrasia and 



Gallophasis, but Bonaparte places them together in his section 



Lophophorece of his Lophophorinoe. 



Next come the Horned-pheasants of the Himalayas and Central 

 Asia. 



Gen. Ceriornis, Swainson. 



Syn. Tragopan, Cuvier — Satt/ra, Lesson — Ceratornis, Cabanis. 



Char. — Bill rather short, head with two small erectile fleshy 



processes (horns) terminating the naked orbits ; crown of the head 



