32 GxVME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



pi. 64 what is there called the young male appears rather to be a 

 cock bird in winter plumage, with the wattles not developed, and 

 the horns shrivelled up ; for Mountaineer tells us that ( the flap of 

 skin and the horns are either cast or shrink up every year in 

 moulting, and do not attain any size again till the ensuing spring.' 

 In this figure, too, the red tip of the crest is very apparent, 

 whilst in the figure of the so called adult male it is totally 

 absent. 



This very handsome Horned-pheasant is found from the 

 Western borders of Nepal to the extreme North-West Himalayas. 

 It is stated not to be a very common bird about Simla and 

 Mussooree, but more abundant near Almora. "Its usual haunts" says 

 Mountaineer, " are high up, not far from the snows, in dense and 

 gloomy forests, either alone, or in small scattered parties. In winter 

 they descend the hills, and then their favorite haunts are in the 

 thickest parts of the forests of Oak, Chesnut, and Morenda Pine, 

 where the box-tree is abundant, and where under the forest trees a 

 luxuriant growth of 'Ringali' or the hill Bamboo forms an underwood 

 in some places almost impenetrable. They keep in companies of 

 from two or three to ten or a dozen or more, not in compact flocks, 

 but scattered widely over a considerable space of forest, so that 

 many at times get quite separated, and are found alone." If un- 

 disturbed, however, they generally remain pretty close together, 

 and appear to return year after year to the same spot, even though 

 the ground be covered with snow, for they find their living then 

 on the trees. If driven away from the forest by an unusually 

 severe storm, or any other cause, they may be found at this season 

 in small clumps of wood, wooded ravines, patches of low brush- 

 wood, &c. 



" At this season, except its note of alarm, when disturbed, the 

 Jewar is altogether mute, and is never heard of its own accord 

 to utter a note or call of any kind ; unlike the rest of our Phea- 

 sants, all of which occasionally crow or call at all seasons. When 

 alarmed it utters a succession of wailing cries, not unlike those 

 of a young lamb or kid, like the syllable " icaa, ivaa, waa" each 

 syllable uttered slowly and distinctly at first, and more rapidly 

 as the bird is hard pressed or about to take wing. Where not 



