156 THE BLOOD PHEASANT. 



" Adult males have often three spurs on each leg, and natives 

 say that they are sometimes found with as many as five." 



Dr. Hooker remarks : — 



u This, the boldest of the Alpine birds of its kind, frequents 

 the mountain ranges of Eastern Nepal and Sikhim at an eleva- 

 tion varying from 1 0,000 to 14,000 feet, and is very abundant 

 in many of the valleys among the forests of pine (Abies web- 

 biand) and juniper. It seldom or never crows, but emits a weak 

 cackling noise. When put up, it takes a very short flight, and 

 then runs to shelter. During winter it appears to burrow under 

 or in holes amongst the snow ; for I have snared it in January 

 in regions thickly covered with snow, at an altitude of 12,000 

 feet. I have seen the young in May. The principal food of the 

 bird consists of the tops of the pine and juniper in spring, and 

 the berries of the latter in autumn and winter ; its flesh has 

 always a very strong flavour, and is moreover uncommonly 

 tough ; it, however, was the only bird I obtained at those great 

 elevations in tolerable abundance for food, and that not very 

 frequently. The Bhutias say that it acquires an additional spur 

 every year ; certain it is that they are more numerous than in 

 any other bird, and that they are not alike on both legs. I 

 could not discover the cause of this difference ; neither could 

 I learn if they were produced at different times. I believe that 

 five on one leg, and four on the other, is the greatest number 

 I have observed." 



Dr. Jerdon, writing to Mr. Elliot, said : — " The only time that 

 I have myself seen the Ithagenes was in September 1868, on a 

 trip to the Singhaleela Range, west of Darjeeling. This is a 

 lofty spur that runs south from Kinchinjunga, ending in Mount 

 Tonglo, 10,000 feet. At about 12,000 to 13,000 feet a covey 

 of these beautiful birds crossed the mountain-path I was as- 

 cending ; and quickly calling for my gun, I knocked one or 

 two over on the ground. Only one bird rose on the wing after 

 I fired ; and it settled down again almost immediately, the 

 rest escaping by running into the underwood in the forest. A 

 native Shikari followed them up, and succeeded in securing 

 three or four more of the family. The young were nearly 

 half-grown, and the cock birds were clothed in the adult male 

 plumage, not so bright or well-marked of course as an old bird. 

 The bill of the female is dull reddish at tip, and chestnut at the 

 base ; the nude orbital skin in the male rich blood-red, and 

 the irides red brown, the bill being dusky or black at the tip. 

 I see in Hodgson's drawing of this bird that the bill of the 

 female is rightly given red. I could not notice exactly how the 

 tails were held, except that they were certainly raised whilst 

 running. The food of those examined consisted entirely of 

 vegetable matter. The skins of this beautiful bird previously 

 brought into Darjeeling have all been procured at a consider- 

 able distance in the interior of Sikhim ; and I was rather. 



