THE RED JUNGLE-FOWL. 229 



one kills in October and November (when they are fat as butter 

 and most delicious), fully as many young cocks as hens are 

 reared. Lastly, I am quite certain that they are not always 

 polygamous. I do not agree with Hutton that they are always 

 monogamous, because I have constantly found several hens in 

 company with a single cock, but I have also repeatedly shot 

 pairs without finding a single other hen in the neighbourhood, 

 and if you have good dogs (and you can do nothing in jungle 

 with either these or Pheasants without dogs) you are sure to 

 see and hear, even if you get no shot at them, all the birds there 

 are. 



" In the Sundarbans," says Mr. Rainey, " their breeding 

 season lasts generally from March to May. The hen lays her 

 eggs on the ground, usually in a shallow hole scraped for that 

 purpose and lined with a few scattered leaves. The nest is 

 made in the centre of some dense thicket or underwood in the 

 midst or edge of the forest. She lays from six to eight eggs ; 

 at least I have never found more than that number in any 

 single nest. The eggs are rather smaller than those of tame 

 fowls in the same parts of the country, and of a slightly reddish 

 brown colour. Many eggs are destroyed, I am told, by the so- 

 called ■ Iguana,' properly Monitor Lizard ( Varanus draccena.)" 



From Upper Pegu, where they are quite as common in the 

 hills as in the plains, Mr. Oates sent me eggs taken by him 

 on the 20th March and 25th May. 



He says : " In Pegu this species appears to breed throughout 

 the first six months of the year, but more frequently in April, 

 May, and June. Nests at all elevations from 100 to 2,000 feet 

 above sea level." 



The eggs vary much in size and shape, but typically they are 

 miniature hens' eggs ; considerably elongated varieties are, 

 however, common. The shell is, as a rule, very fine and smooth, 

 and has a tolerable gloss ; but specimens occur in which the 

 pores are much more marked than usual, the shell coarser and 

 rougher, and the gloss very faint. As to colour they are nor- 

 mally a pale yellowish cafe au lait colour, but occasionally a red- 

 der and deeper-coloured egg is met with. 



In length the eggs vary from r6 to 2*03, and in breadth from 

 1*27 to 1*5 ; but the average of thirty is 178 by 1*36. 



AS TO DIMENSIONS — 



Males, measured. — Length, 25*0 to 28*2; expanse, 27*0 to 29-5 ; 

 wing, 8 - 1 2 to 9-5 ; tail from vent, 11*25 to H'3 5 tarsus, 3-0 to 

 3' 12 : bill from gape, i'i9 to 1 "37 ; spur, very sharp and curved, 

 I'O to 1*7 in length. Weight, 1 lb. 12 ozs. to 2 lbs. 4 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 16*5 to 18*25 ; expanse, 23*0 to 25-0 ; wing, 

 7*1 to 7*5 ; tail from vent, 5*5 to 6*5 ; tarsus, 2*3 to 2*55 ; bill 

 from gape, 0*9 to T02. Weight, 1 lb. 2 ozs to 1 lb. 10 ozs. 



