62 A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



HOME LIFE 



The breeding of these pheasants takes place during the rains, and the birds retire to 

 the deepest, most secluded parts of the jungle. Hence records of nests are few and 

 scattered and often are based wholly on the reports of natives. In a nest found in 

 Cachar by Mr. Clarke in the month of May the eggs were well advanced in incubation. 

 " The nest was placed at the foot of a large bush, which stood amongst ' some ' grass and 

 small cane jungle, on undulating ground. The female flew off the nest on our approach, 

 when the Kookie shikari who was with me said he would catch the bird. He made a 

 cone-shaped basket of grass, put it over the nest and retired with me to a short distance. 

 After about fifteen minutes we approached stealthily and threw a cloth over the basket, 

 securing the bird, which had returned to the nest while we were away, and, lifting the 

 edge of the cone, had crept inside. 



" The eggs were of a cafd au lait colour ; the nest was circular, about nine inches in 

 diameter and three inches in depth, made of twigs and leaves roughly put together, with 

 an apology of a lining of the bird's own feathers, and possessed sufficient cohesion to 

 permit of its removal, eggs and all, to my bungalow. The young one that was hatched 

 was covered with greyish down, and looked very much like a fowl chicken. Notwith- 

 standing all my care, it died in a week's time." Baker says the eggs are laid on a few 

 leaves and debris, which have collected in a small hollow in or near a ravine, and usually 

 where the undergrowth is dense. 



May and June are undoubtedly their favourite breeding months, but in captivity 

 they sometimes begin to lay much earlier than this. As to courtship and fighting, we 

 have no evidence from birds in a wild state, but the presence of from two to five spurs 

 would indicate that serious encounters must take place, and in an aviary I have known 

 one cock to pursue another without ceasing, until the latter was removed at the very 

 point of exhaustion. The courtship is thoroughly well known from birds in captivity, 

 which go through the performance in what is doubtless as complete and normal a way 

 as they do in their native jungles. 



It is one of the most beautiful displays among the whole group of pheasants, and 

 so specialized that not only do they go through the preliminary actions peculiar to 

 Gallus and the lateral showing off of Phasia7ius and others, but the climax is a wonderful 

 frontal display in which every ornament in the plumage is brought to bear to influence 

 the little female. 



As we have made priority such a fetish in nomenclature there is no reason why a 

 similar rule should not hold in descriptions of habits, and especially when the diction is 

 delightful and the narrative interesting, it is a pleasure to quote from early authors. 

 Over a quarter of a century ago M. Edouard Godry writes as follows ("Bulletin de la 

 Socidte d'Acclimatation," 1888, p. 984) concerning the most interesting stage in the 

 courtship of the male Peacock Pheasant : " II marche legerement, redressant sur sa 

 t^te une petite huppe composee de plumes fines qui retombe en avant sur le bee, il 

 enfle son plumage avec orgueil, et deploie gracieusement, tout en marchant, I'une de ses 

 ailes, tantdt la droite, tant6t la gauche, puis se met, de temps en temps, a gratter le sol 

 de la voliere. Apr^s quelques recherches d6s qu'il a le bonheur de trouver quelque 

 insecte ou menu grain, il le saisit avec empressement, et tout en tenant ddlicatement, du 



