912 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV 111. 



to be out in the " bhir " at streak of dawn so as to be able to locate the male 

 florican as soon as he begins jumping. The tongawallah is given instructions 

 where to take the tonga and tiffin basket for your midday meal, and you start 

 off after the nearest marked bird. On your way he is probably heard calling 

 and then seen jumping. You draw closer and closer between the jumps, till the 

 bird rises and flies straight away, only to be bagged at the first shot. This is 

 satisfactory. You then proceed to the next bird, but he is not quite so easily got. 

 Something disturbs him, and he gets up rather unexpectedly and with a long 

 rise. Knowing that they are easily brought down, you blaze at him, but without 

 success. He is then watched, and the place where he has settled is marked. 

 You trudge some 500 or 600 yards after him. You are not quite sure of the 

 exact spot. While searching round he again gets on the wing out of range, 

 and is marked down onoe more. The same procedure is then followed until he 

 is bagged or flies off a very long way. The next bird on the list is then taken 

 in hand. On the way it is quite possible that an unmarked bird is put up and 

 accounted for, or otherwise. All this takes time, for one has to get from one 

 place to another. After all marked birds have been diposed of, a line is formed 

 and the " bhir " beaten out on chanse, when a hare, quail, or partridge may 

 also be accounted for. As these latter birds are breeding at this season they 

 should be spared or at any rate not shot in large numbers. 



Lunch is taken about 1 p.m., after which it is usually a case of home. I 

 have on two occasions got seventeen florican in a day ; twelve or thirteen were 

 considered very good, eight or nina satisfactory, while anything below that 

 number did not please. I believe in days gone by very large bags were made, 

 but I was quite satisfied with the above. I have not heard of late whether 

 these birds are as plentiful now as they used to be in my day, some twenty 

 years ago. 



The florican, like all bustards, lays a large round apple-green egg dashed with 

 rusty red, which is placed on the ground in a depression, no attempt at a nest 

 being made. Four eggs would seem to be the full complement. As a table 

 bird the florican is considered a delicacy, but when the Spanish or blister fly 

 (cantliarkkb) is in season he should be eaten with caution, as he is very partial 

 to that insect as food. 



(From " The Field;' May 2nd, 1908.) 



No. XV.— NOTES ON BIRDS IN THE AMHE11ST DISTRICT, LOWER 



BURMA. 



I think the following worth recording in the Journal : — 



1. Last year when coming over the Dawna range in this (Amherst) district 

 I found Cerasophila ihompsoni at about 3,500 feet. I lost my one specimen 

 then obtained, but this year almost at the same spot I found the bird again 

 and have to-day posted a skin to our Society. 



2. On the 25th April 1908 while rafting down the Thaungyin river I 

 saw a Hobby ( b\ severus) disappear into the cleft of a giant tree on the Siamese 



