THE CEYLON JUNGLE-FOWL. 245 



young broods were about with the hens, and when disturbed either 

 took refuge in the undergrowth or flew off in the trees. My 

 friend informs me that they were so numerous and apparently 

 so stupefied by the juice of the nilloo berry, that he could have 

 knocked over dozens with a stick as they alighted on the 

 branches of the low jungle." 



Messrs. Hart say : " This species breeds throughout a con- 

 siderable portion of the year, laying 4 to 8 eggs of a dull-white 

 hue, and sometimes mottled with feeble purplish or reddish brown 

 spots, specks, or blotches. It selects usually bamboo clumps or 

 dense thickets for its nesting place, but in some instances 

 apparently prefers shady ant-hills or the hollow of a decayed 

 tree. 



" We have also on two or three occasions found the eggs of this 

 species laid in a depression of the bare sand or on the decayed 

 trunks of trees without any nest lining of dried leaves or 

 grass." 



One egg sent me from Ceylon by Mr. Legge, taken in June 

 1874, is a very regular oval, of the usual hen's egg shape, only 

 slightly more pointed at one end than another. The shell is fine, 

 smooth and glossy ; the ground a delicate cafe au lait, every- 

 where minutely speckled with brownish red, and besides this 

 sparingly spotted (the largest spot being about 0*08 in diameter) 

 about the more obtuse end, with rather bright brownish red. 



This egg measures 171 by 1*3 r. 



For the dimensions and other particulars of 25 adults I am 

 indebted to Messrs. Hart : — 



Males. — Length, 19-0 to 25-0; expanse, 28'0 to 30'0 ; wing, 

 8*5 to 9/0 ; tail from vent, 8*o to 14-0 ; tarsus, 275 to 3-2 ; bill 

 from gape, 1*25 to 1*5 ; spur, ro to 1*3. Weight, 2lbs. to 2lbs. 

 5 ozs. 



Females. — Length, 15*0 to i6 - o ; expanse, 23*0 to 25*0 ; wing, 

 7*2 to 8*0; tail from vent, 5-0 to &o ; tarsus, 2*1 to 2*5 ; bill 

 from gape, 1*1 to 1*25. Weight, lib. 2 ozs. to lib. 6 ozs. 



Bill brown ; front of the lower mandible pale yellow ; irides 

 buff ; comb, wattles, and naked skin about the head in some 

 yellowish in some purplish red, the comb having a large wing 

 shaped or oval spot of yellow occupying the middle of the 

 posterior half, very bright at its origin immediately over the eye, 

 and shading off at its margin into the colour of the comb ; feet 

 and legs pale yellow. 



The size and shape of the yellow spot on the comb varies 

 much. 



In the female the comb is very small, almost rudimentary ; 

 there are no wattles, and the facial skin is thickly feathered, not 

 bare as in the two other species. 



