till v naoetoMT n reat« 



Euplocamus lineatus, Vigors. 



Vernacular Nam©S.— [Yit, Kayit (Burmese), Synldouk, (Taken), Phoogyk, 

 (Karen), Burma.] 



O far as is yet known, the Vermicellated Pheasant is 

 confined to Pegu, Tenasserim, north of Tavoy, the 

 south-western portions of Independent Burma, and 

 the north-western portions of Siam.* How far east it 

 ! goes in Siam is still uncertain, but it has been 

 brought from close to Chieng Mai (Zimme). It 

 does occur west of the Irrawaddy River in places, in low 

 hills, but not out of the Irrawaddy Valley. Directly the Ara- 

 can Yoma is reached, E. cuvieri alone is found. How far it 

 extends along the valley of the Irrawaddy into Independent 

 Burma has yet to be ascertained. 



It is not a bird of high elevations ; I have no record of its 

 having been seen even as high as 4,500 feet ; it appears to be 

 most numerous at from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, though it certainly 

 occurs as high as 3,500, and again right down to sea level. 



Its home appears to be the thin deciduous-leaved woods, 

 especially those much mingled with bamboos, of the low hills. 

 It is rarely seen in dense evergreen forests or in grass prairies. 



It is almost omnivorous, and feeds, according to season and 

 locality, on all kinds of insects, grain, seeds, small jungle 

 fruits and berries, and certain young leaves, green shoots and 

 flower buds. 



It is not gregarious, and though a good many may be found in 

 the same neighbourhood, they seem to live quite independent- 

 ly of each other, except in the case of young broods, which 

 keep for some months along with the mother, and pairs during 

 the breeding season. 



Whether they are polygamous seems to me very question- 

 able. That the males fight desperately during the breeding 

 season is certain, and that where, owing to casualties and other 

 circumstances, the females preponderate, the males may pay 

 their addresses to more than one is possible, but I incline to 

 believe that normally they pair with one only. 



* It has been asserted to occur in North Cachar, but there is no reason to believe 

 hat it has ever been found there. 



