THE RED SPUR-FOWL. 25 I 



hither and thither under the trees, scratching about among the 

 dead leaves. 



" A well-wooded ravine with plenty of thorny undergrowth 

 and with a stream of water in it, is always a favourite resort of 

 this species." 



I do not think that this species is in any degree migratory, but 

 no doubt in many localities, in hot weather, when all springs 

 and pools dry up, the birds shift their quarters a few miles 

 to where water is available. With this exception, wherever it 

 occurs, it is, I believe, a permanent resident, and there breeds. 



It lays ACCORDING to locality from the end of February 

 to the middle of June, and perhaps again in October and 

 November, although of this I am not sure. It makes a slight 

 nest on the ground, of dry leaves and grass, often in a hollow 

 scratched for the purpose, always in more or less dense under- 

 growth, and in many parts of the country, I am told (though 

 this is not my experience), almost exclusively in bamboo 

 thickets. It is, I judge, monogamous ; certainly both cock and 

 hen are usually to be found in the vicinity of the nest and in 

 company with the young. 



It lays from four to seven eggs, I should say, but others have 

 found as many as ten, and I have myself seen a brood of eight 

 chicks with one pair of old ones. The hen seems to sit unusual- 

 ly close ; at any rate I have twice known one captured by the 

 hand, by a native, on the nest. 



" On the Nilgiris," says Davison, " the Spur-Fowl breeds in 

 the same localities as the Grey Jungle-Fowl and makes the 

 same slight nest. The breeding season, however, is in May and 

 June. I have rarely found more than five eggs in a nest. 



" I have found its nest three times," writes Darling ; " once in 

 the Wynaad on a rock in the jungle, with a little Citronella grass 

 growing on it, the nest being only a few dried pieces of grass, 

 containing five eggs, well incubated. Again on the edge of the 

 jungle, in thick fern, with seven eggs, which were laid in a hollow 

 with a little dried fern in it : this was also in Wynaad. The 

 third nest was on the Nflgiris at Kartary. This nest was 

 placed in long Citronella grass at the foot of a large tuft, and 

 was built neatly of sticks, leaves, and grass and contained six 

 eggs well incubated." 



From Kotagiri, Miss Cockburn remarks : " They form their 

 nest in woods on the ground among dry leaves, and gene- 

 rally lay from six to ten eggs of a dingy white colour, which are 

 to be found in the months of February, March, and April." 



From Abu, Dr. King writes to me : " This species is com- 

 mon at Abu in the valleys, ranging as high as 4,000 feet, but 

 is most plentiful from about 1,500 to 3,000 feet above the sea. 

 It prefers dense jungle about nalas, where there is a thick un- 

 dergrowth, and especially where there is much bamboo. 



