174 THE CHEER. 



trees, but will occasionally fly up into one close by, when put 

 up by dogs. It roosts on the ground generally, and when con- 

 gregated together, the whole flock huddle up in one spot. At 

 times, however, they will roost in trees and bushes." 



I cannot avoid noticing that, in the case of this and several 

 other species, Ornithognomon's famous letters to the Field, are 

 mere abstracts and paraphrases of Mr. Wilson's papers, to which 

 the author's obligations are, it seems to me, insufficiently acknow- 

 ledged. 



The Cheer breeds throughout the lower ranges of the Hima- 

 layas, within the limits already indicated, at elevations of from 

 4,000 to 7,000 or 8,000 feet. Their nests may be met with from 

 April to June, most of the eggs, however, being laid during 

 May, early or late in the month, according as the season is a 

 cold or warm one. Personally, I have only taken three nests 

 of this species altogether, so that I cannot generalize safely, 

 but my impression, derived from this limited experience is, that 

 they always nest near or about the foot of some very precipitous 

 hill-side, what the natives call " Dang" cliffs not absolutely 

 vertical, but still the next thing to it, broken up into ledges and 

 steps, and studded with down-trailing bushes, tufts of grass, and, 

 growing here and there out of some larger cleft or wider ledge 

 a few stunted trees. 



In 1853 I was living at a small house behind the " Camel's 

 Back" at Mussooree, a house which was afterwards converted 

 into a dispensary. About a thousand feet below, and perhaps 

 half a mile from this, is a precipice, such as I have described, 

 and at the foot of this, in the midst of a tuft of grass, I found, 

 on the 3rd May, a nest of the Cheer containing two eggs. 

 It was a mere depression, some 14 inches in diameter and 3 

 inches in depth in the centre, obviously scratched by the birds, 

 and strewed, rather than lined, with a few scraps of grass. 

 Eleven more eggs were laid, one daily, and then the hen began 

 to sit. One egg was addled ; the rest were hatched some time 

 in June, but I kept no note of the date. The whole family 

 then took up their residence in the precipice, and there remained 

 until the middle of October, when, the young being nearly 

 full grown, I commenced shooting them, and shot a brace once 

 or twice a week, until there were only two or three young 

 ones left. At 1 1 A.M. they were always in the upper part of 

 the precipice ; my dogs used to be put in and would rummage 

 along the ledges and turn them out, when, after a few strong 

 strokes, outwards from the face of the cliff, they would all but 

 close their wings and come down past me (I always stood in 

 the same place on a knoll at the foot of the cliff where I was 

 safe from stones) like lightning. I remember well missing 

 every single shot the first day, but the next time I got a brace, 

 and after that I never went home without one or two, and, 



