620 birds of india. 



The Lesser Florikin. 



Descr. — Male, in full breeding plumage, with the head, neck, ear- 

 tufts, medial -wing-coverts, and the whole lower plumage deep black, 

 the chin alone being white ; lower part of the hind neck and a 

 large patch on the wing white, the rest of the plumage fulvous, 

 beautifully and closely mottled with dark brown ; the first three 

 primaries plain dusky brown, the remainder both barred and 

 mottled with brown. The down at the base of all the feathers 

 is a beautiful pale dull rose-colour, and the quills, when freshly 

 moulted, have a beautiful bloom, mingled pink and green, which 

 however soon fades. The ear-tufts are about 4 inches long, and 

 have usually three feathers on each side ; with the shaft bare, and 

 a small oval web at the tip, curving upwards. The primaries are 

 much acuminated, sometimes ending in a point almost as fine as a 

 needle. 



', Bill dusky above, the edges of the upper, and all the lower 

 mandible yellowish ; irides pale yellow, clouded with dusky ; legs 

 dirty whitish yellow. Length 18 to 19 inches; wing 8 ; tail 4 ; 

 bill at front ly% ; tarsus barely 4. Weight 16 to 18 ozs. 



The female has the prevalent tone of her plumage pale fulvous- 

 yellow, the feathers of the head, back, wings, and tail,' clouded 

 and barred with deep brown, those on the head mostly brown ; the 

 fore-neck with two irregular interrupted streaks, increasing on the 

 lower neck and breast, the lower plumage thence being unspotted 

 and albescent ; the hind neck is finely speckled Avith brown ; the 

 chin and throat white ; the first three primaries, as in the male, un- 

 spotted bro^vn ; wing-coverts with only a few bars ; axillaries brown. 



Bill, legs, and irides as in the male, but the irides generally 

 unclouded yellow. Length 19 to 21 inches ; wing 9|; tail nearly 

 5 ; bill at front 1^ ; tarsus 4^. Weight 20 to 24 ozs. 



The male, in whiter dress, closely resembles the female, but has 

 always some white on the shoulder of the wing; and some of the 

 wing-coverts also partially white; the under wing -coverts being dark 

 brown, whilst in the female they are fulvous. Of course during 

 the vernal and autumnal moults, male birds with every gradation 

 of colour will be met with, and some of tliese are figured in the 

 Benyul Sporting Magazine, and in Belangers Voyage. The differ- 



