EÜTLÖGAMUS ALÉOCRISTATUS.
B f KALEEGE.
PHASIANUS ALBOCRISTATUS, Vigors, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1830) p. 9.—Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pl. 66, 67,
P. LEUCOMELANOS, Lath.. Ind. Orn: yol. ii. p. 633 ( 1 7 9 o |^ i
GENNALUS ALBOCRISTATUS, Wagl. Isi?, (1832) p. 1228.
PHASIANUS HAMILTONI, Gray, Griff. Anim. Kingd. vol. iii. p. 27.—Id. 111. Ind. Zool. (1832) p. 41.
GENNA2U8 LEUCOMELANOS, Reichen. Syst. Av. p. xxix.
EUPLOCAMUS-HAMILTONI^Gray, List of Gern'of Birds, (1841) p. 78.
ALECTO R OPHASIS LEUCOMELANOS, Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, (1841) p. 78k.
. GALLOPHASIS; LEUCOMELANOS, Hodgs. Cat. of Imin, and B/(1846) p / 124.
G. ALBOCRISTATUS, Bon. Compt. Rend. (1856) p. 879.—Jerd. B. of Ifijflp. 532, vol. iii.—Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1859) p, 186.—Blyth,
Ibis, (1867) p., 1531—Tytier, Ibis, (1868) p. 203.—Sclat. Proc/Zool. She. (1859) p. 205.
EUPLiOCAMUS LEUCOMELANOS, Gray, List Gen. B. app. p. 12.—Id. List of Gall. (1867) p. 33
E. ALBOCRISTATUS, Blyth, Cat. of B. Mus. Asiat. So^Beng. (1849) p. 244—Sclat.' Proc. Zool. Soc. (.1863) p. 121.—Gray, List of Gall.
( I 867) P; 32. sp. 1.—Adams, Proc. Zool. Soc. (1858) p. 499.—Irby, Ibis, (1861) p. 235.-
H ab Simla; Cashmere Ranges, Western Himalayas; Sewalik range to limits of forest (A . L. A dams ) .
Cashmere Ranges ; Punjab (A dams ) .
Province of Kumaon ( I rby) .
T h e White-crested Kaleege is a native of the North-western Himalayas up as far as Nepaul. Here it comes into contact with
the Euplocamtis .melanotus -, and hybrids of the two species are frequently met with, and have been described as new, forming
two so-called species, viz. the Euplocamus leucotnelanos and E .H am ilto n i. It is well understood, : however, at the present day
that these are /not entitled to any specific rank.
A well-known writer in ‘ The Bengal Sporting . Review,’ under the nom de plume of “ Mountaineer,” has given by far the most
admirable accounts of the habits of many species of Pheasants inhabiting the Himalayas that have yet been written; and as
they. are. far supérior and more complete than any history I could hope to give, and are moreover related by an eye-witness,
I shall always avail myself of the opportunity, and transcribe his narratives in this work for the benefit of my subscribers.
“ The well-known Kaleege,” says this writer, “ is most abundant in the lower regions; it is common in the: Dhoon- at the foot
of the hills, in all the lower valleys, and everywhere to. an elevation o f about 8000 feet: from this it becomes more rare, though
a few are:found'still higher. It appears to he more unsuspicious o f man than the rest of our Pheasants; it, comes much nearer
his habitations, and, from being so often found near the villages and roadsides, is considered by all as the most common, though, in their
respective regions, the, Moonall (Lophophorus impeyanm) is more numerous. In the lower regions it is found in every description of
forest, from the foot to the summit of the hills; hut it is most partial to low coppice and jungle, and wooded ravines or hollows.
In the interior it frequents the scattered jungle:at the borders of the dense forests, thickets near old deserted patches of cultivation,
old cowsheds and the' like; coppices near : the^ villages and roads, and, in fact, forests and jungle o f every kind, except the distant
and remoter woods, in which it is seldom found. ■ The presence of man, or some trace that he has once been a dweller in the
spot, seems, as it were, • necessary to: its'existence. ” v •
“ The Kaleege is not.very, gregarious. Three or four are often found together, and ten or a dozen may sometimes be put out
of one small coppice; hut they seem in a great measure independent of each other, and much like our English Pheasants. When
disturbed, if feeding or oil the move,, they generally run, and do not often get up,, unless surprised suddenly and closely or forced by
dogs, and lie rather <ilose. in thick .cover. They are never very' shy, and, where not > unceasingly annoyed by sportsmen or shikarees,
are as tame as any sportsman could wish. In walking up a ravine-:pr hill-side, if put; up iby^dogs a little distance above, they will often
flv into the trees closé above his head, and two or three allow themselves to be quietly knocked over in succession. When flushed from
any place where they have sheltered, whether on the ground or. aloft, they fly off to some distant cover, and alight'on the ground
in preference to the trees. Their call is a. loud whistling chuckle or chirrup; it may occasionally be heard from the midst o f some
thicket or; coppice at any hour of the day, , but is not of very frequent. occurrence. It is generally uttered when the bird rises,
and, if it flies into ‘aV tree near, often continued some time. When flushed by a cat or a small animal, this chuckling is always
loud and earnest.” . ’>
“ The Kaleege is very pugnacious, and the males have. frequent battles. On one occasion I had shot a male, which lay fluttering
on . the ground in tits . death-struggles, when another rushed out of the jungle and attacked it with the greatest fury, though I was
standing reloading the gun close ‘ by. The male: often makes a singular drumming noise with its wings, not unlike the sound
produced by shaking in the air a stiff piece o f cloth. It is heard only in the pairing-season; but whether to attract the attention