THE MOONAL, 12/ 



rally leave the sheltered woods for exposed parts or the vicinity 

 of the villages on the approach of winter. Both sexes are 

 often found separately in considerable numbers. On the lower 

 part or exposed side of the hill, scores of females and young 

 birds may be met with, without a single old male ; while 

 higher up, or on the sheltered side, none but males may 

 be found. In summer they are more separated, but do not keep 

 in individual pairs, several being often found together. 



" It may be questioned whether they do pair or not in places 

 where they are at all numerous ; if they do, it would appear 

 that the union is dissolved as soon as the female begins to sit, 

 for the male seems to pay no attention whatever to her whilst 

 sitting, or to the young brood when hatched, and is seldom 

 found with them. 



" The call of the Moonal is a loud, plaintive whistle, which is 

 often heard in the forest at daybreak or towards evening, and 

 occasionally at all hours of the day. 



In severe weather numbers may be heard calling in different 

 quarters of the wood before they retire to roost. The call has 

 a rather melancholy sound, or it may be that, as the shades of 

 a dreary winter's evening begin to close on the snow-covered hills 

 around, the cold and cheerless aspect of nature, with which it 

 seems quite in unison, makes it appear so. 



" From April to the commencement of the cold season, the 

 Moonal, though there is nothing of cunning or artifice in its 

 nature, is rather wild and shy, but this gives way to the all- 

 taming influence of winter's frosts and snows ; and from October 

 it gradually becomes less and less wild, until it may be said to be 

 almost tame, but as it is often found in places nearly free from 

 underwood, and never attempts to escape observation by con- 

 cealing itself in the grass or bushes, it is perhaps sooner alarmed, 

 and at a greater distance, than other Pheasants, and may, 

 therefore, appear to a casual observer at all times a little wild 

 and timid. 



" In spring it often rises a long way in front, and it is difficult 

 to get near it when it again alights, if it does not at once fly too 

 far to follow, but in winter it may often be approached within 

 gun-shot on the ground, and when flushed, it generally alights 

 on a tree at no great distance, and you may then walk quite 

 close to it before it again takes wing. 



"In the forest, when alarmed, it generally rises at once without 

 calling or running far on the ground ; but on the open glades 

 or grassy slopes, or any place to which it comes only to feed, 

 it will, if not hard pressed, run or walk slowly away in preference 

 to getting up ; and a distant bird, when alarmed by the rising of 

 others, will occasionally begin and continue calling for some time 

 while on the ground. 



" It gets up with a loud fluttering and a rapid succession of 

 shrill screeching whistles, often continued till it alights, when it 



