¥.&:K.HanharL,iinp.
C E R i O l N I S M E L A N O C E P H ALA I
C E R IO R N » MELANOCEPHALA.
BLAGK-HEADED TRAGOPAN.
SATYRA MEIANOCEPHALA, Gray, Griff. Anim. King, volyiii. p. 29.—G. R. Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. (1844) p. 28.—Bon. Compt. Rend.
(i8&6Ap. 879.
TRAGOPAN HASTINGSII, Vig. Proc. Zool. Sop. (1830) p. 8.—Gould, Cent; B. Him. pis. 63, 64, 65.—Hutton, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. xvii.
pt. lljjip. 695.
TRAGOPAN DE HASTING* Temm. Plan. (fo |:(1 8 3 4 ) livr.;92,_
CERIORNIS MELANGCEPHALA, Gray, Gen. Birds, p. 4 9 9 ^ Gould, B . o f Asia, ,pt. yii.,„pt 9.-f-Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. Asiat. Soc. B eng. (1849)
p. 240, no. 1452.—Sclat. Pi'oe. Zool. Soc. (1863):,p.. 122, Cer. sp. 2.—Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1858) p. 498, & (1859) p- 185.—Beavan,
Ibis, (1868) p, 380,—Yon Pelz. Ibis (1868), p . 320.—Jerd. B- of India, vol. iii. p. 518.—Gray, List Gall. (18.6/7) p. 41.—Gray, IIand-1.
Birds, p t ’ u ^ l 870), p. 262, no. 9622.
SATYRA NIPALENSIS, Gray, 111. Ind. Zool- vol. ii.^pl. 40. Hybrid.
PHASIANUS CASTANEUS,: Gray, Griff. Anim. K a n g ^ v ^ ^ p . 28.
P. NIPALENSIS, Gray, Griff. Anim. King, vol;'iii. p.. 29. ’H y b rM |||S
H a b . Western borders of Nepal to tH’er extreme North-west Himalayas ( J e r d o n ) ,
T he . Black-headed Tragopan, although perhaps not so: brilliant in ' the; colours • of its. plumage as sojne other members of this
genus, is nevertheless a very handsome arid; attractive bird. It is not met with in Nepal,' hut extends from the western borders
of that province to the-North-west, Himalayas;;’ whether it is found throughout tlie range cannot yet be determined. Mountaineer
has written the, fullest account of this species ; and l shall transcribe it here for. the. benefit of my subscribers Its usual
haunts;” says^^thisi^bhs'efeyër^ i^àre.'diigh up, not far from the snows, in dènse and gloomy'/forests, either alone or in small
scattered parties. In V in te r they descend, the-hills ;'- and th e n 'th e ir : favourite haunts are i n 'thè thickest parts: of the' forests of
óàk; chèstnut,; and morenda; pine, where rïhë hox-tree isiAbundanti'apd; where under thè forést-trees ’ a : luxuriant growth o f ‘ fingali,■’
oir .the hill-bamhoo, 'forms'. :a n . underwood. in some places 'almost: impenetrable. They : keep in companies of from two. or , three to
ten o r a'doz en or more, not in compact flocks, but scattered widely over a considerable space of forest,- so that .many a t times
get)’’quite; separated, and ai;e: found alone. I f undisturbed, i howevèf* they generally remain pretty clpse together, and appear to
return year after year to the samë !Spot, ?even though' the ground be -covered with snow/; for /they find . their, living then on the
trees. I f driven: away from the forest’ by an uhusually severe storm;, or. any; other cause, they may be -found-at this season in small
dumps of wood, wooded ravines, patches of. low brushwood, &c. At this season,/except?its; note of alarm, the Jewar is altogether
mute; and is1 never heard of its Own accord to utter a? n o t e c a l l o f‘ any kind, u n lik e th e rest of our Pheasants, all o f which
occasionally crow ór ,call; a t all seasons. When alarmed;r,it utters a suècession of /wailing cries, not unlike th o s e 'o f a young lamb
or kid, like the syllables ‘ waa, waa, toaa,’ each syllable uttered slowly and distinctly at first, and, more rapidly as the bird is hard
pressed or aì)out to take wing. Where not repeatedly disturbed, it is not particularly shy, -rind' seldom takes alarm till a. person
is in its immediate vicinity, when it creeps Slowly through the underwood, or flies Up into à tree—in the former case .continuing
its call-until it is again stationary, .and in; the latter- till ¡it has'.concealed itself in the branches. I f several afe together, ; all
begin to call a t once/ and run. off. n r different;i directions—some mounting into- the trees1, others running along: the ground;
When- first put up, ¡they often alight in one of the nearest trefes;; but ifnagain flushed,; the second flight, is; generally to-.some
distance, and almost always down hill. Their flight is rapid, 'thè rôliirr peculiar, aiid, even when the bird is not seen, may be
distinguished by th#soundf¡from that of any othef.' Where their haunts are often visited, either by the sportsmen or the
villagers* they’ are niore ‘wary;; an d -if such visits are of regular occurrénce* and,.continued for any length of time, they become
so ; in a very,1 high degree—so much so that i t 'i s impossible to ^conceive a forest-bird more shy or cunning. They then, as
soon as aware of the • p f esénce of any. one in the forest, aftert calling once or twice, or without doing so a t all* fly .up into,
the trees (wliieh near their haunts are almost £§jl evergreens ' o f the densest foliage)*1 > and -i conceal themselves so artfully in
the tangled- leaves and branches^that;. unless one has been seen to fly into a particular tree; and it has been well marked
down, it is; almost impossible to find them. In spring, .asr the.'snow begin s to , melt bn> thé higher .parts of the hills, : they
leave entirely their winter resorts, and gradually separate and spread themselves through the more remote and distant woods,
up to the region of birch and white rhododendron, and almost up to ; the. extrême limits of . forest. Early in April they
begin to pair ; and the males are then more generally met with than a t any other period; they seem to wander about a
great deal, are almost always found alone, and often cail at intervals all day long. When thus calling, the bird is generally