THE COMMON PEA-FOWL. 83 



combination exists within the limits indicated, there the Pea- 

 Fowl is sure to abound. 



Canals, with their grass and tree-clad banks, are, in Upper 

 India, pet abiding places of the Pea-Fowl. I have seen a canal 

 opened out through a dry bare Doab district, where only here 

 and there a few of these birds, perhaps a dozen in day's journey, 

 were to be met with ; and ten years later, driving down the canal 

 road (the canal by that time with high grass-clad banks and 

 a belt of trees and grass on either side), I have counted several 

 scores in one of the three-mile lengths that on the Ganges 

 canal intervene between bridge and bridge. 



But it is not only in such seemingly suitable localities that 

 this species thrives amazingly ; it is to be seen almost through- 

 out Rajputana. In and about the rocky and semi-desert tracts, 

 for instance, in which lie Jeypore, and the more ancient capital 

 of that state, Umber, myriads of Pea-Fowl are to be met with. 

 Everywhere throughout Upper India* a certain superstitious 

 reverence attaches to the Pea-Fowl, and the mass of the popula- 

 tion more or less dislike their slaughter ; but in these Native 

 States the prohibition is absolute, and no man, Native or 

 European, can or does molest them, though tigers and leopards, 

 if the people speak truly, are less amenable to authority. 



Talking of these, is there, I would ask, any foundation for 

 the universal belief that exists amongst natives throughout 

 the length and breadth of the land, that these beasts feed 

 largely on Pea-Fowl ; that when these latter are surprised, espe- 

 cially by leopards, the cocks either fly at and buffet the leopards, 

 or else stand paralysed with fear, in either case falling an easy 

 prey to the cruel cat ? 



The late Colonel Tytler used to relate how one day, when stalk- 

 ing a Peacock, he was surprised to find that he had suddenly 

 closely approached it, and that, bestowing no thought on him, it 

 seemed intently gazing on a tiny patch of jungle just in front. 

 Halting for a moment, he discovered a leopard stealthily crawl- 

 ing on its belly through the jungle towards the Peacock. He was 

 much astonished ; he had never heard of leopards in the neigh- 

 bourhood, but his astonishment exceeded all bounds when, on 

 his raising the gun (he had ball in one barrel), and covering the 

 leopard, it suddenly threw up both its paws and shrieked in a 

 voice hoarse with terror " Nehin Sahib, Nehin Sahib, mitt chulao" 

 (No sir, No sir, don't fire). He said that for a moment he 



* Mr. Reid, however, writes : — " So far as I know, the natives of Oudh nowhere 

 object to Pea-Fowl being shot ; but if asked whether there are any in the neighbour- 

 hood, they will most likely reply in the negative. Generally speaking, however, there 

 is no difficulty in getting them to give information, and frequently, without being 

 asked, they will suggest a little Pea-Fowl shooting, and themselves enter enthusiasti- 

 cally into the sport. 



" Although sportsmen, as a rule, do not care about shooting Pea-Fowl, it is as well 

 that they should know that dogs are preferable to beaters for flushing the birds. 

 They will hide from man, but rise at once when they find a dog on their track. In 

 thick jungle, two or three plucky terriers answer the purpose admirably." 



