456 Mr. Blythes Remarks upon some Mammalia and Birds. 
(February) the hens occur occasionally in little bevies by themselves ; 
and during a w^hole day’s search vre do not find more than a solitary 
cock bird, and then by himself. But these separations of the sexes 
are not proofs of monogamy or polygamy. The eggs are generally 
six to ten in number.” Early in January I came upon a party of 
eighteen or tvrenty (driven together at least out of the jungle by the 
beaters) ; and the sexes in this instance were about equal in number. 
Mr. Skipwith writes me word, that he has made inquiries on this 
subject of several shikdrrees, and was told that when the opportunity 
offers the cock is decidedly polygamous; “ and I suspect,” he adds, 
“ this must be the case, from a fact that has repeatedly come under 
my own observation when shooting, that in every covey of birds there 
are two or three hens to every cock.” Capt. Hutton states however 
that in the breeding season he has constantly found them paired ; but 
this seems to have been in places where the species was not very nu- 
merous, the few pairs being widely scattered. 
The following remarks on Jungle-fowl shooting may be here 
quoted from the ‘Bengal Sporting Magazine ’ (for May 1837) : — 
“ The Bhund Moorg, or Jungle-cock, is pretty generally known to 
Indian sportsmen. It is found in almost every part of the country 
where there is jungle. Being however exceedingly shy, and fre- 
quenting the thickest cover, an elephant is necessary for this sport, 
though an occasional bird may be shot on foot. They sometimes 
rise in pairs, affording an easy right and lefter, though likely to flurry 
a young sportsman on first coming across them. I have always 
found that, on beating for jungle-fowl, the best place is to take up a 
])osition eighty or one hundred yards ahead of my coolies, and allow 
them to beat the birds towards me. They take a good charge of 
shot to kill them dead, and when they are only wounded will run a 
considerable distance. In this case, there is little chance of bagging 
the bird. On the Calcutta and Benares roads they are very plen- 
tiful, particularly at Oondah, Bancoorah, Chatua, Chundunkearee, 
Chass, and Goomeah — the last-named place especially. 
“ As the day breaks (on the line of march) you hear them crowing 
on all sides ; at this early hour venturing to the skirts of the jungle 
to feed in the grain and rice Khets, but appearing always on the 
qui vive, and on your approach they immediately disappear. When 
accompanied with chickens, the sportsman (?) has the best chance 
of success, as they seldom forsake their young, and the chuck, chuck 
of the old hen directs to the spot where they are. The weight of a 
jungle-cock is about S^lbs.” 
Such is the wild common fowl. The habits of one of the two Cingha- 
lese species are thus noticed by Major Forbes : — “ These Jungle-fowl 
are continually announcing their position by a shrill double call, 
which is somewhat like the cry of the partridge, but has no resem- 
blance to the crowing of a ‘ domestic ’ cock*. This call, when com- 
* The crow of G. Souneratii is exceedingly diflerent from that of G.fer- 
ri/gineuSf either wild or in any domestic variety, — a sort of charrdh-cha~ 
r'ulclia. 
