214 THE FIREBACK. 



they rise at once before a dog, getting up with a great flutter, 

 but when once well on the wing, fly with a strong and rapid 

 flight ; they seldom alight again under a couple of hundred 

 yards, and usually on the ground, when they immediately start 

 running. 



" I noticed on one occasion a very curious thing. I had stalk- 

 ed an Argus, and while waiting to obtain a good shot, I heard 

 the peculiar note, a sort of " chukun, chukun" followed by the 

 whirring noise made by the male Fireback, and immediately 

 after saw a fine male Fireback run into the open space, and begin 

 to chase the Argus round and round its clearing. The Argus 

 seemed loath to quit its own domain, and yet not willing to 

 fight, but at last, being hard-pressed, it ran into the jungle. The 

 Fireback did not attempt to follow, but took up a position in 

 the middle of the clearing and re-commenced the whirring noise 

 with his wings, evidently as a challenge, whereupon the Argus 

 slowly returned, but the moment it got within the cleared space, 

 the Fireback charged it, and drove it back into the jungle, and 

 then, as before, took up his position in the middle of the space 

 and repeated the challenge. The Argus immediately returned, 

 but only to be again driven back, and this continued at least a 

 dozen times, and how much longer it would have continued I 

 cannot say, but a movement on my part attracting the birds' 

 attention, they caught sight of me, and instantly, before I could 

 fire, disappeared into the jungle. The Argus never made the 

 slightest attempt to attack the Fireback, but retreated at once 

 on the slightest movement of the latter towards it, nor did I see 

 the Fireback strike the Argus with either bill, wings, or spurs." 



They appear to breed during the monsoon, but I know 

 nothing of their nidification. The only egg we obtained, laid 

 in July by a captured hen, is simply a large game fowl's egg ; 

 fairly smooth, though with but little gloss ; everywhere minutely 

 dotted with inconspicuous pores, and of a rather pale and 

 delicate cafe an lait colour. 

 It measures 2*25 by i*68. 



The following are the dimensions and colours of soft parts 

 recorded in the flesh of a large series of both sexes :— 



Males.— Length, 27*5 to 29/0 ; expanse, 35*0 to 38*5 ; tail from 

 vent, io*o to 10*5 ; wing, 1075 to I2'i2 ; tarsus, 4*25 to 4*4 ; 

 bill from gape, r6 to i*8. Weight, 4-25 to 5 lbs. 



Females. — Length, 23*0 to 24*0 ; expanse, 30*0 to 33*0 ; tail 

 from vent, 7*5 to 9-0 ; wing, 97 to 1075 ; tarsus, 3*5 to 375 ; 

 bill from gape, r6 to 17. Weight, 3 to 3*5 lbs. 



Legs and feet are vermilion red ; claws, and in the male the 

 spurs, whitish ; the back of the tarsi in the female fleshy ; in 

 the male the entire bill is whitish or horny white and cere 



