THE JUNGLE, OR WILD COCK. (FROM OUR EAST INDIAN CORRESPONDENT.) MR. EDITOR,-As our common barn-door fowl derives its origin from the wild cock of the forests of Hindoostan, I would respectfully submit to you, for the information of a few of your general readers, some autoptical remarks on the nature and habits of the Gallus sylvestris İndicus as he is met with in his native wilds. The above bird constitutes one of our best features in the catalogue of Indian game. Indeed, we possess but four of the Gallina genus in this country-viz., pea-fowl, jungle ditto, partridges, and quail; the penultimate kind in a quadruple variety, consisting of the black, the brown, the red-legged (commonly called the chekoar), and the dwarf, or golden partridge. Whilst I was on a visit to a friend at Jellasore, a very woodland portion of country, lying on the Soobunruka river, about 135 miles south of Calcutta, my ears were constantly assailed at earliest dawn by the reiterated challenges of the jungle cocks-some proceeding from spots immediately contiguous to the homestead, others from a more remote distance-insomuch that a person who was a stranger to the neighbourhood might be justified in believing that he was residing in juxta-position with a colony of farmers, whose object it was to encourage an almost unlimited stock of poultry upon his estates. The plumage of the jungle cock is very rich. The neck feathers are of a resplendent golden hue, becoming darker as they extend towards and along the back of the bird. The wings are black; breast feathers ditto; the tail ditto, spotted with mallard green; uropigium, white; crest lofty, thin, and florid; ears and wattles, white; legs, black; spurs, long and cuspid. His weight, when in good order, is about three pounds. There is no bird, perhaps, throughout India so sensitive to selfpreservation as is the jungle cock. His vigilance, his wariness, and his cunning are so well balanced, that he is the most difficult of all others to approach. The only chance of meeting with him is about sunrise or sunset, when, with a party of his concubines, consisting of from three to four in number, he ventures forth into the plains or stubble fields to feed. His haunts are for the most part to be observed proximate to some heavy cover, almost impervious to the fowler, such as is composed of dwarf corinda, serrated cane brake, and Mysore thorn, which, when the same become interlaced, would almost break the heart of an elephant in the attempt of the latter to combat with them. In the midst of these inaccessible retreats are occasionally to be met with a few detached mangal and tamarind trees, which these birds are apt to frequent and resort to as their roosting haunts, and it is in such positions that they afford means to the sportsman of securing them, and then oftentimes with the risk of lacerating his person in a most cruel manner, in his attempt to retrieve the birds from the jungle after he has managed to kill them. The most successful mode to adopt in jungle fowl shooting is, for a person to attire himself in a black gauze suit of apparel, so as to resemble the sable complexion of the native character as nearly as possible (for these birds will allow a Hindoo labourer to approach them much nearer than they will an European), and take up a concealed position at the side of the cover, having a commanding view of the stubble field. The birds will be sure to come out when all is quiet, and when they entertain no apprehension of danger, and will advance some way into the enclosure, picking up what grain they may meet with. When they have extravagated far afield, it is then advisable for the sportsman to rise and creep softly along the woodside, and endeavour thereby to intercept the birds in their retreat into the jungle, to which latter they will immediately make, the moment they become alarmed for their safety. Should the cock be foiled in his attempt to effect a current escape, he will thereupon take wing, and for the most part direct his flight towards the spot whence he egressed into the enclosure; in the latter instance, himself, as well as the hens, will frequently arrive within reach of the gun's range, and thereby fall before the sportsman. I have repeatedly watched, of an afternoon, for some hours together, concealed in ambush, for the appearance of these birds coming out to feed-in covers too, wherein I was aware they abounded; and, although they were gasconading around me in every direction, and some of them were close at hand, yet, to my great mortification and utter disappointment, not a single bird has, during the whole course of the evening, ventured abroad. The most effective practice I could pursue for securing these fowl was, to hire about two dozen parriah, or hill coolies, whose hides had become, by dint of long usage to jungle exercise, as invulnerable as those of a mailed rhinoceros, the same being furnished with thick bamboo poles, whilst two or three more of the gang were provided with tom-toms (small drums beaten by the wrists and fingers). These beaters I instructed to proceed straightway into the heavy covers, and drum away, and shout, and make as much noise as they could, at the same time to thrash and belabour the brakes and bushes with their long poles without intermission, whilst I myself, keeping in a parallel line with them, proceeded, gun in hand, along the side of the covers. This scheme, I soon found, had the desired effect. No sooner had this sort of tomasha (sport) begun, than (as the late William Cobbett was wont to say, in allusion to the effect of his political writing) "the straw began to move." There became quite a sudden revolution in the affairs of things; for, lo! deer of various kinds, wild hogs, wild cats, jackals, hares, jungle and pea-fowl, and every other quiet tenant of the jungle was roused, and appeared panic stricken. The scene somewhat resembled the inmates of a menagerie let loose, upon a limited scale. Had I been accompanied by half-a-dozen brother sportsmen, we might, collectively, have emburthened the coolies with more game than they could have sustained on their persons and carried home. The jungle fowl, in their alarm, made direct for the standing timber, several of these trees abutting immediately on that portion of the field which I occupied. The birds appeared perfectly stultified, and they permitted me to shoot them off the boughs as dead marks, the survivors shifting their positions at every discharge of the gun to other more distant parts of the trees. Two cocks and six hens already lay beside me, being as many as I could desire, and I withdrew the beaters from the covers, well satisfied in my own mind that I had eventually found out the secret which had so much mystified me-—viz., the only effectual way to gain an advantage over the shy, and otherwise unapproachable, jungle cock. I have beaten some very heavy jungles, in quest of the above game, with hardy spaniels; but the latter, after awhile, became so severely punished in the act of opposing the cane brake, which they had to encounter in pursuit of the fowl, that they soon waxed faint, and became literally beaten and disgusted with the task set before them. The jungle cock inherits a high game flavour, and is regarded as a very dainty feature in the Bengal sportsman's bill of fare. It is in every respect preferable to the pea-chick, which latter, as constituting a choice viand, cannot hold a place by its side. I may be, perhaps, permitted to mention, that the neighbourhood of Jellasore abounds in the above class of game to a far greater extent than any other part I had occasion to visit during a long residence in India. The above station is situated upon the northern boundary of the great Mohurbunge, or far-famed "Forest of Peacocks.' I beg to be, Mr. Editor, your very obedient servant, D. G. EXTRACTS FROM RABY'S NOTE BO O K. THE MEDITERRANEAN, CORFU, ALBANIA. "Forsan hæc olim meminisse juvabit," It is now so much the practice and fashion for tourists and sportsmen to make small parties, and going to distant parts of the world for the sake of shooting and other diversions, and especially to Corfu for the purpose of shooting in Albania-of which there is so great a variety— that I am induced to make a few extracts from my note book (which I noted down when in that pleasant part of the world), which may be serviceable and useful to some who may contemplate a visit to those regions, and perhaps amusing to many at home who may chance to cast their eyes over these pages. I shall only make mention of events that occurred to myself, "Et quorum pars magna fui ;" and if the short account I offer is of the slightest use, or affords amusement on matters of interest to the sportsman or tourist, I shall think myself fortunate; and I may at the same time add, that my rough notes are the result of my own observation, and not of report or hearsay. Starting from Portsmouth on a lovely day in December, we quickly left the shores of old England in the distance. But our fine weather soon deserted us; for after being exposed to all the fury of a violent gale of wind, we were obliged to put into Plymouth, where we stayed till the wind changed, when we again set sail, and stood out to sea, passing off the rock of Lisbon, and off Cape St. Vincent, and finally reached Gibraltar, on as fine a day, and the sun shining as bright, as in June. The coasts of Barbary and Spain were seen to perfection. The Barbary coast I consider to be truly magnificent. We had a good view of Tangiers, the Ape's Hill, and Ceuta. On the left was the coast of Spain. The Sandy Hatch and St. Matthew's Head are two large mountains or hills; the latter is the greatest in extent. The lighthouse of Tarifa and the little town is a pretty object from sea; though the lighthouse is the only object worth notice. The prickly-pear was in blossom, and reminded me of the beautiful orchards in Herefordshire. At Gibraltar the scarlet geranium was in full blossom, and the gardens were in great perfection; as also the aloe. The sun shining on Gibraltar, as we approached, made the scene the more beautiful. This mighty rock has been in possession of the English since 1704, and is so defended by art and nature as to be considered impregnable. We now passed off the coast of Andalusia, a province in the south of Spain; also Granada and Malaga, and Cape di Gata, the most extreme point south east of Spain; the snow shining on the covered heights afforded a fine view; and Cape di Gata was seen to perfection. When off Galita the wind sprung up, and carried away our main-top-gallant mast. Sicily now appeared in the distance, of which on the following day we had a fine view, and with a glass could distinguish the most minute objects on this very interesting island, which is the largest and most celebrated in the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated at the bottom of Italy, and is of triangular form. Sicily is about six-hundred miles in circumference, and is celebrated for its fertility; so much so that it was called one of the granaries of Rome, and Pliny says a husbandman was rewarded an hundredfold. Syracuse was one of its most famous cities. The poets feign that the Cyclops were the original inhabitants of this island, and that after them it came into the possession of the Sicani, a people of Spain; and at last of the Siculi, a nation of Italy. The plains of Enna (now Castro Janni), situated in this island, are celebrated for their excellent honey; and, according to Diodorus, the hounds lost their scent in hunting on account of the many odoriferous plants that profusely perfumed the air. This may account for the excellence of the honey, but I very much doubt the opinion of Diodorus being correct. The inhabitants of Sicily were so fond of luxury, that "Sicula mensæ" became a proverb. According to poetical tradition, it was from this island that Pluto carried away Proserpine. The dangerous whirlpool Charybdis, which proved so fatal to part of the fleet of Ulysses, is situated on the coast of Sicily, opposite a dangerous rock on the coast of Italy, called Scylla, whence the proverb-" Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charybdim." No whirlpool, however, is now found to correspond with the description of the ancients, as regards the danger and magnitude. Mount Etna now appears. We had a most excellent view of this noble mountain, which was to be seen in all its grandeur ; its summit and sides were covered with snow. The sun shining most brilliantly on the snow, gave it a dazzling brightness; at times its summit was enveloped in clouds; then again the clouds dispersed, and the peak of the mountain could be seen most clearly. This mountain is two miles in perpendicular height, and measures a hundred-and-eighty miles round at the base, with an ascent of thirty miles. Its crater forms a circle of about three miles-and-a-half in circumference. The poets suppose that Jupiter had confined the giants under this mountain, and Ovid says Quas quoties proflat spirare Typhoea credas, Et rapidum Ætneo fulgur ab igne jaci." It was also represented as the forge of Vulcan, where his servants, the Cyclops, fabricated thunderbolts. I do not think Mount Etna could be seen to greater perfection than on the present occasion. Passing now off Isle Faro, Corfu appears in the distance; and finally we drop anchor opposite Corfu, near the little island of Vido, on one of the most lovely nights I ever remember, the moon and the stars being very bright and clear, the sky a beautiful blue, and the planet Jupiter shining in all his glory, with his satellites around him. On the following morning I first set my foot in Corfu. It was indeed a lovely morning, and everything appeared fresh and gay to those who had been shut up so long at sea. The approach to Corfu is beautiful in the extreme; the opposite coast of Albania, the fortifications of the island of Vido, the citadel of Corfubuilt on two precipitous rocks, running out into the sea-t -the palace of the Lord High Commissioner, the town itself, and the distant mountains of the island, form a splendid panoramic view. The ancient name of Corfu was Corcyra. It is about forty miles in its greatess extent, and varies in breadth from seventeen to two miles; its circumference is one hundred and twelve miles; and it contains a population of about sixty thousand, of which the city possesses a third. On the north side are some bold and lofty mountains, now called St. Salvador-the ancient Mount Istone. The island is separated from the coast of Albania by a channel not above twelve miles in its greatest breadth, and two miles in the narrowest part. The whole country displays the most picturesque scenery, whilst Albania in the distance looks magnificent in the extreme. On arriving at the "Ditch," which is the usual place of landing, (the other being at the health office), you first of all recognise the Lion of St. Mark on the right hand as you enter the ditch, which is under the citadel. From thence you ascend by a flight of stone steps to the esplanade, which is the best part of the town. On the right hand stands the palace, a fine building of Maltese stone, built by King Tom (the late Sir T. Maitland). On the open space in front of the palace the different regiments parade, a certain day in the week being allotted to each regiment. On the esplanade is a statue of Count Schulemberg, placed there by the Venetian government: it was erected by the senate in commemoration of the valiant defence of Corfu by this great captain, when it was besieged in 1716 by a powerful Ottoman army of thirty-five thousand men, and a naval force of twenty-two sail of the line. After a siege of forty-two days the assailants were compelled to sail away with the loss of half their army. From the statue of Schulemberg you pass over a drawbridge to the citadel, which is remarkable for two rocky eminences, the aërias arces" mentioned in Virgil, which add much to the grandeur of the place. Within the citadel are the barracks, &c., a U |