THE GREY PEACOCK-PHEASANT. IOQ 



" They feed in the thick clumps, on seeds, insects and shells, 

 go about in a perfectly noiseless manner, and are very hard to 

 flush, disappearing like magic if disturbed. At the report of a 

 gun they cry out qua, but this is the only call I have heard them 

 utter." 



Col. Williamson says : " This species, though not often seen, 

 and only to be shot with the aid of dogs, who speedily ' tree' it, 

 is found all over the Garo Hills, where it is a permanent resident. 

 I have shot it on the Tura Range of Hills, which attain an 

 elevation of 4,600 feet." 



I HAVE as yet entirely failed to obtain the eggs of this species, 

 but to judge from experience obtained in captivity, the females 

 produce two or three broods in a year, and lay only two eggs 

 to a sitting. In a wild state they probably lay more eggs, and 

 only once a year. The eggs laid in captivity are described as 

 " peculiarly delicate in form and colour, assimilating very closely 

 to those of the Golden Pheasant, of a creamy or buffy white, and 

 measuring 2 inches in length by 1*44 in breadth." 



Mr. Clarke, whom I have already quoted, says : — 



" I once had the good fortune to find a nest containing hard- 

 set eggs of this species in the month of May, the exact date 

 I forget. I took these and set them under a domestic hen, and in a 

 week's time one egg hatched, the others went bad. 



i( The nest was placed at the foot of a large bush, which stood 

 amongst 'sone' 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 1 5 minutes we approach- 

 ed stealthily and threw a cloth over the basket, securing the bird 

 which had returned to the nest while we were away, and lift- 

 ing the edge of the cone had crept inside. 



" The eggs were of a cafe an lait colour ; the nest was circular, 

 about 9 inches in diameter and 3 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 per- 

 mit 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. Notwithstanding all my care, it 

 died in a week's time." 



We are told that when the young of this species were first 

 hatched in the Zoological Gardens, a Bantam hen was employed 

 as a foster mother, and that the chicks would follow close be- 

 hind her, never coming in front to take food, so that, in scratch- 

 ing the ground, she frequently struck them with her feet. The 

 reason for the young keeping in her rear was not understood 

 until, on a subsequent occasion, two chicks were reared by a 



