OTIDID^. 615 



occasionally baffles the Falcon by ejecting a horribly stinking 

 fluid which besmears and spoils the plumage of the hawk ; just 

 as, in Africa, its congener is stated to behave towards the Sahr 

 falcon. Adams states that it is very destructive to young wheat 

 fields in winter, eating the young shoots, but its chief food is 

 doubtless insects of various kinds. The flesh is said to be ex" 

 ceedingly tender, and is often so loaded with fat, that skins are 

 with difficulty dried and preserved. 



This species is common in the bare stony plains of AfFghanistan, 

 where it is stated to occur in packs of five or six together, to fly 

 heavily, and for a short distance only, soon alighting and running, 

 and is there called Dugdaor. It also occurs in various other 

 parts of Asia, in Mesopotamia and elsewhere ; it has been 

 occasionally killed in Europe, and one specimen was shot in 

 England in Lincolnshire, which had its craw filled with caterpil- 

 lars, snails, and beetles. 



The egg of this species procured in Mesopotamia, is figured in a 

 late volume of the Illustrated Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 

 It is of the usual color. H. imdulata, the Houbara of Northern 

 Africa and Arabia is often killed in Spain, and is said to be a great 

 delicacy. 0. rvficrista, A. Smith, perhaps belongs to this genus. 



Gen. Sypheotides, Lesson. 



Syn. Comatitis, Eeichenbach. 



Char. — Bill moderately long and broadish ; legs lengthened, 

 with a large portion of the tibia bare ; in nuptial plumage the male 

 with more or less white wings, and mostly black plumage, highly 

 crested or with ear-tufts, and, in some, the breast plumes greatly 

 developed. ]<^emales larger than the males. 



This genus comprises the large Florikin of Bengal, and the lesser 

 Florikin of Southern India, called the Likh or Leek in the North. 

 In both of these species, the hen bird undergoes no change of 

 colour at the vernal moult, but is considerably the larger and 

 heavier bird ; whilst the cock changes to nearly all black, and 

 a crest or ear-tuft is developed. The down at the base of the 

 body-feathers is a beautiful rosy -pink colour, and these are very 

 loosely set, coming off very readily. 



