616 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



838. Sypheotides bengalensis, Gmelin. 



Otis, apud Gmelin — Blyth, Cat. 1540 — 0. deliciosa, Gray — 

 Hardwicke, 111. Ind. Zool. 1, pi. 61 and 62—0. Himalayana, 

 Vigors — Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 73,74,75 — Charras, or 

 Charaj, or Charaz, H. — called Dahar in the Nepal Terai. 



The Bengal Florikin. 



Descr. — Male, in full breeding dress, has the whole head, which 

 is very fully crested, neck, breast, and lower parts, with the thigh- 

 coverts, deep glossy black ; the plumes of the breast elongated, 

 forming a full breast-tuft, and the feathers of the neck in front 

 also lengthened ; the back, with the scapulars and the tertiaries, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts, rich olive buff, closely and minutely 

 mottled with jet black zig-zag markings, and a black dash in the 

 centre of each feather; shoulders, wing-coverts, and quills, pure 

 white, with the tips, shafts, and outer edges of the first three 

 primaries only black ; tail black, minutely mottled with buff, and 

 with a broad white tip. 



Bill dusky above, yellowish beneath ; irides brown ; legs 

 dingy pale yellowish ; the knee-joint and the toes livid blue. 

 Length 24 to 27 inches ; extent 44 to 47 ; wing 14 ; tail 7 ; 

 tarsus 6 ; bill at front 1^; weight 3|- lbs. 



The female has the head (which is moderately crested), and the 

 whole upper plumage pale fulvous, with black and brown mot- 

 tlings, barrings and vermiculations ; the ear-coverts are whitish, 

 and the neck is minutely dotted with dark lines ; the primaries are 

 banded dark brown and fulvous. Irides dull yellow ; legs dirty 

 yellow. Length 28 to 29 inches ; extent 50. Weight 4 lbs. 



Young birds are probably at first colored like the females. 

 Males, in winter dress, (perhaps only the younger birds,) have the 

 head, neck, and wing-coverts as in the female, the primaries white, 

 and more or less of the lower plumage black, as in one of Gould's 

 figures. Many birds in this state of plumage are killed during 

 the cold weather and even as late as July. I think it doubtful if 

 young males assume this plumage the first year, and I am in- 

 clined to consider that it is the winter dress of all except, perhaps, 



