GALLUS LAEAYETTII. • 00 
I never could ascertain whether any actual combats were the result of their meeting, and I think that generally 
one or other of the birds retreats when it sees its antagonist. 
Layard, however, writes on this subject « The cocks fight most desperately in defence of their seraglios, 
the combat frequently terminating in the death of one of the engaged parties As they not unfrequently 
mingle with the fowls of the lonely villages, they cross with the domestic breed, being more than a match 
in courage for the plebeian dunghill cocks, and armed with tremendous sliaip spins. 
“ Mr. Mitford, of the Ceylon Civil Service,” he continues, “ showed me, while at Ratnapura, a hybrid 
hen; her general appearance and call much resembled that of the wild bird ; her eggs also partook of the 
spotted character; but Mr. Mitford never succeeded in rearing any chicks fiom 1 1cm, as ey were d 
addled. The bird was very tame to those with whom she was acquainted, but e precipi a e y a 
approach of strangers.” . 1 
As a rule, Jungle-fowl do not thrive well in confinement ; but several exceptions to 1 11s ia\e conic unt e 
my notice, the birds in question having been reared from the nest. Captain 1 . Hay ley success u y ve P 
cock for years in his beautiful grotto-like aviary at Gallc; and Mr. Tliwaites of Ilakgala had some leaiiti u 
examples which I saw on the occasion of my last visit to his bungalow, and which, he informed me, e ia( 
had for some years in confinement without their having in any way suffered from their captivity. Mr.Holdswort 1 
likewise conveyed some to England which the late Rev. Dr. Boake had reared in an aviaiy at Colombo. 
The sound of the flapping of the wings, which is of course the invitation to battle, has the elfect of always 
drawing two birds together; and the knowledge of this fact has given rise to the device ot imitating the noise, 
by doing which the sportsman can bring the cock up to him, and if lie be properly couccaled can easily shoot 
him. The natives make this sound by clapping against their thighs with the palm of the hand hollowed ; but 
Europeans can best do it by making a pad with the handkerchief, and beating it against the palm of the other 
hand. By this means the exact sound can be made ; and I myself once procured a very fine specimen in the 
Ostcnburgh woods by adopting this plan. It is worthy of note that this species (and I believe the same is 
the case with all the wild Jungle-fowl) does not utter its call before daybreak, like the domesticated varieties ; 
and this fact renders it difficult to surmise how the habit first arose in the latter. 
The male birds have an alarm-note, sounding like clock, clock, which they make, if they hear any strange 
noise, when perched on a branch and about to roost. I kept a wild bird in confinement for a short 
time and being very timid it invariably made this note when I approached, at the same time running round 
the aviary and trying to escape. The George-Joyce call is, as Mr. Iloldswovth remarks, preceded by a sharp 
monosyllabic note sounding like t'ek. This gentleman likewise says that he has seen the cock, when “ calling,” 
“ strutting up and down a low horizontal branch of a tree, raising and lowering its head ” as it gave out its note. 
I have remarked in my note on “distribution” that numbers of Jungle-fowl visit the forests 111 which 
the undergrowth of “ nilloo,” a species of Strobilanthes, is so abundant, for the purpose of feeding on its 
berries ; and the popular idea ohtaius that the fruit of this shrub has the effect of stupifying the birds. Certain 
it is that at this period the Jungle-fowl in the Horton Plains and about Nuwara Elliya do become affected, 
and are apparently so “ intoxicated ” that they may be knocked down with a stick. Mr. Holdsworth writing 
011 the subject says that he failed to discover that any thing was known to botanists of the seeds of this plant 
possessing narcotic qualities ; and he suggests that the birds may perhaps eat some noxious fungus growing 111 
the woods where the “nilloo” thrives. 
Another idea among the Singhalese is that the J ungle-fowl become blind at this season from eating the 
nilloo-seeds. Mr. Bligh writes me on this subject as follows : — “ About that season of the year if village 
fowls be brought to the hills they rarely escape a serious eye-disease, which rapidly spreads throughout a given 
district, and in many cases they becoihe totally blind in two or three weeks. Ibis is the disease vvhicli the 
Jungle-fowls evidently catch. A dog of mine caught a jungle-cock with one eye lost, and evidently from t ns 
The flight of the Jungle-fowl is strong; but they rarely take wing unless suddenly surprised, theii usual 
mode of escape from danger being by running, which they do with considerable speed. 
Nidification. In the north of Ceylon the Jungle-fowl breeds in the early part of the year (when I have 
procured its eggs) and most likely at other seasons as well. In the Ilambantota district I have met with 
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