fortunately for them are not very numerous, they seldom wait
till he makes a stoop, but on his making a wheel near the spot
where they are, immediately fly off to another quarter of the
hill ; the eagle never flies after or attacks them on the wing,
so that, though he allows them little quietude while near their
resort, he only occasionally succeeds in securing one.
" The Jcr-moonal never enters forests or jungle, and avoids
spots where the grass is long, or where there is underwood of
any kind. It is needless to add that it never perches. During
the day, if the weather be fine and warm, they sit on the rocks
or rugged parts of the hill without moving much about except
in the morning and evening. When cold and cloudy, and in
rainy weather, they are very brisk, and are moving about and
feeding all day long.
" When feeding they walk slowly up hill, picking up the tender
blades of grass and young shoots of plants, occasionally
stopping to scratch up a certain bulbous root of which they
seem very fond. If they reach the summit of the hill, after
remaining stationary some time, they fly off to another quarter,
alighting some distance down, and again picking their way
upwards. When walking, they erect their tails, have a rather
ungainly gait, and at a little distance have something the appearance
of a large grey goose. They are partial to feeding on
spots where the sheep have been kept at nights when grazing
in the summer pastures. These places have been called ' tatters'
by the shepherds, and the grass on them keeps green
and fresh long after the rest of the hill is quite dry and brown.
They roost on the rocks and shelves of precipices, and return
to one spot many successive nights.
" Their call is a low soft whistling, occasionally heard at
intervals throughout the day, but more generally at day-break.
It is most common in cloudy weather. The first note is considerably
prolonged and followed by a succession of low rapid
whistles, and it is by far the most agreeable song of all our
game birds. This note is only heard when the bird is at
rest; when alarmed and walking away, it sometimes utters at
short intervals a single low whistle, and when it gets on the
wing the whistles are shrill and very rapid. However far it
flics, the whistling is continued until it alights, and for a
few seconds afterwards, but then slightly changed in tone to
a few notes, which seem in a strange manner to express satisfaction
at being again on the ground. However odd the comparison,
I can compare the whistling of these birds when
flying and alighting to nothing but the difference of sound
produced by the wings of a flock of pigeons when flying
and when alighting on some spot where they have to flutter
a few seconds before they can gain footing.
" The Jer-moonal is not remarkably wild or shy. When
approached from below, on a person getting within eighty or
a hundred yards, they move slowly up hill or slanting across,
often turning to look back, and do not go very far unless
followed. If approached from above, they fly off at once,
without walking many yards from the spot. They seldom
in any situation walk far down hill, and never run except for
a few yards when about to take wing. The whole flock
get up together ; the flight is rapid, downwards at first, and
then curving, so as to alight nearly on the same level. Where
the hill is open and of great extent, it is often for upwards
of a mile, at a considerable height in the air ; when more
circumscribed, as is often the case on the hills they frequent
in winter, it is of shorter duration, perhaps merely across or
into the next ridge.
" They feed on the leaves of plants and grass, and occasionally
on moss, roots, and flowers ; grass forms by far the
greater portion of their food. They are very partial to the young
blade of wheat and barley when it is first springing up, and while
it remains short ; and, should there be an isolated patch on
the hill where tbey are, visit it regularly night and morning.
They never, however, come into what may be called the
regular cultivation.
" They are generally extremely fat, but the flesh is not
particularly good, and it has often an unpleasant flavour when
the bird is killed at an high elevation, probably owing to some
of the plants it there feeds upon. They are hardy birds and
easily kept in confinement, but though they will eat grain, I
doubt if they would live long without an occasional supply
of their natural green food of grass and plants.
" They may be kept with the least trouble in large cages,
the bottoms of which, instead of being solid, are made of bars
of wood or iron wire, so that the cages being put out on the
grass, the birds may feed through the interstices."
I KNOW BUT little of the nidification of the Himalayan Snow-
Cock.
In the Upper Sutlej Volley, Lahul, and Spiti this species
lays in June, at elevations of from 12,000 to 17,000 feet. The
eggs, according to native collectors, are normally five in
number.
Wilson long ago told us that " the eggs, which have been
found by travellers are about the size of those of the Turkey ;
but, like those of the Grouse, are of a more lengthened form ;
their ground colour, clear light olive, sparingly dotted over with
small light chestnut spots."
Later he wrote to me : " The Snow-Pheasant or Snow-Cock
breeds at elevations from I2,oooto 17,500 feet, but very rarely
on the southern side of the snows. The hills near the source
of the Ganges, and the Sutlej Valley above the junction of the