The HIMALAYAN SNOW COCK, or SNOW PHEASANT (_Tetraogallus Himalayensis_),
is grey upon the top of the head, cheeks, and nape. The feathers on the
back are of a reddish grey, delicately spotted with black, and streaked
with deep reddish brown. The chin, nape, throat, and lower breast are
whitish. The upper breast is greyish white, decorated with crescent-shaped
black spots. The rest of the feathers are grey, sprinkled with brown, and
marked with two brown spots. The sides are paler than the mantle, and the
lower covers almost white; the tarsi are dark grey. The eye is surrounded
by two brown lines, which unite at the sides of the neck. The primary
quills are white, their grey tips spotted with brown. The tail-feathers
are of a reddish shade, spotted with black on the outer and grey on the
inner web. The eye is deep brown, the bare patch behind it yellow, the
beak pale horn-grey, and the foot yellowish red. The male is twenty-nine
inches long, and forty broad; the wing measures thirteen, and the tail
eight inches. The female does not exceed twenty-four inches in length.
"These fine birds," we learn from Hutton, "are common in the Hazara
Mountains, and are called by the Affghans _Kank-i-durra_, or the Partridge
of the Ghâts. They are sometimes sold in the markets of Cabool and
Candahar. They rise," he tells us, "in coveys of from ten to twenty, and
usually have a sentry perched on some neighbouring rock, to give warning
of danger by a low and musical whistle."
The _Tetraogallus Himalayensis_ "is confined," says "Mountaineer,"
"exclusively to the snowy mountain ranges, or the large spurs jutting
from them which are elevated above the limits of forest, but is driven in
winter to perform one, and in some places two, annual migrations to the
middle regions. In summer it is only seen near the limits of vegetation.
In Kunawur it is common at all seasons, from Cheenee upwards; but on the
Gangetic hills, from June till August, however much a person wanders
about on the highest accessible places, but few are met with, and I have
no doubt whatever but that nearly all such as at other seasons frequent
this part retire across the snow into Chinese Tartary to breed. About the
beginning of September these birds are first seen near the tops of the
higher grassy ridges jutting from the snow, and the green slopes above
and about the limits of forests. After the first general and severe fall
of snow they come down in numbers on to some of the bare exposed hills in
the forest regions, and remain there till the end of March. This partial
migration is probably made in the night after the fall of snow, as I have
invariably found them in their winter quarters early next morning. It
requires a deep fall of snow to drive them down, and in some mild winters,
except a few odd birds, they do not come at all. The birds on each
respective hill seem to have a particular spot for their winter resort,
which they return to every year the migration is made. The Snow Pheasant
is gregarious, congregating in packs, sometimes to the number of twenty
or thirty, but in general not more than from five to ten, several packs
inhabiting the same hill. In summer the few which remain on our side are
found in single pairs generally; but across the snow, where the great body
migrate, I almost always, even then, found several together. They seldom
leave the hill on which they are located, but fly backwards and forwards
when disturbed.
"The _Jer-moonals_, as these birds are called in India, never enter forest
or jungle, and avoid spots where the grass is long, or where there is
underwood of any kind. It is needless to add that they never perch. During
the day, if the weather be fine and warm, they sit on the rocks, or rugged
part of the hills, without moving much about, except in the morning and
evening. When it is 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 uphill, picking up the tender blades of grass and young shoots
of plants, occasionally stopping to snatch up a certain bulbous root of
which they seem very fond. If they reach the summit of the hill, after
remaining stationary for 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 present 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 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 daybreak. It is most common in
cloudy weather. The first note is considerably prolonged, and followed
by a succession of low rapid whistles. This species has by far the most
agreeable song of all our game birds. This call 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 flies, the whistles are
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 different sounds 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 gain footing."
The Jer-moonals are not remarkably wild or shy. When approached from
below, on a person getting within eighty or one hundred yards, they move
slowly uphill 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 downhill, and never run, except for a few yards, when
about to take wing. The whole flock rise together; their flight is rapid,
downwards at first, and then curving, so as to alight on the same level.
Where the hill is open and of great extent, it is often continued for
upwards of a mile, at a considerable height in the air; when the space is
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 blades 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 they are, they visit it regularly
night and morning. They never, however, come into what may be called the
regularly cultivated parts. They are generally exorbitantly fat, but the
flesh is not particularly good, and it has often an unpleasant flavour
when the bird is killed at a high elevation, probably owing to some of
the plants it there feeds upon. Though I have spent many summers on the
snowy ranges, I never found the nest or eggs, but in Thibet I often met
with broods of young ones newly hatched. There were, however, several
old birds, and probably more than one brood of chicks, so I could form no
correct idea of the number in one brood. The eggs which have been found by
travellers are about the size of those of a Turkey, but like those of the
Grouse, are of a more lengthened form; their ground colour is clear light
olive, sparingly dotted over with small, light chestnut spots."
The considerable height at which the Snow Pheasants live secures them
from many persecutors to whom their congeners are exposed: nevertheless
they also have their enemies, for all the larger and stronger Eagles
regard them as welcome prey. "The Ring-tailed Eagle," says "Mountaineer,"
"is an inveterate annoyer of these birds; inhabiting exposed situations
where there is nothing to conceal so large a quarry from his sight as he
sails along the hill-side above them, they at once arrest his attention,
and are driven backwards and forwards by this unrelenting tormentor all
day long." They, however, often manage to escape his clutches, for the
same author continues: "On the appearance of these birds of prey, which
fortunately for them are not very numerous, they seldom wait till one of
them makes a stoop, but on the enemy wheeling round near the spot where
they are, immediately fly off to another quarter; the Eagle never flies
after or attacks them on the wing, so that although he allows them little
quiet while near their resort, he only occasionally succeeds in securing
one." From man this bird has little to fear, as few persons pursue game
at the heights they inhabit, and the hunting propensities of the Eastern
nations are not very considerable. According to "Mountaineer" these hardy
birds are easily kept in confinement, but (although they will eat grain)
would probably not live long without an occasional supply of their natural
green food of grass and plants. "They may," he tells us, "be kept without
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 birds being put
out on the grass may feed through the interstices."
* * * * *
The RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES (_Caccabis_). This section embraces several
European species possessing strong bodies, short necks, and comparatively
large heads. The wings, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the
rest in length, are of medium size: the tail, composed of from twelve to
sixteen feathers, is moderately long, and not completely concealed by its
upper covers. The beak is long, but powerful; the foot of medium height,
and furnished with a blunt spur or species of horny wart. The thick
smooth plumage is principally of a reddish grey, shaded in some instances
to slate-grey; the upper breast, part of the throat, and the thighs are
brightly coloured. These birds are met with in Southern Europe, Western
and Central Asia, Northern and Western Africa, Madeira, and the Canary
Islands, everywhere inhabiting such barren or rocky situations as accord
with their mottled plumage, and carefully avoiding tree-covered regions.