624 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



the end of April, and have killed them with the black ear-tuft 

 just beginning to sprout, hardly any other black feathers having 

 appeared. In other instances I have noticed that these ear-tufts 

 did not make their appearance till the bird was quite mottled with 

 black. The full and perfect breeding plumage is generally com- 

 pleted during July and August. At this season the male bird 

 generally takes up a position on some rising ground, from which 

 it wanders but little, for many days even ; and during the morning 

 especially, but in cloudy weather at all times of the day, every now 

 and then rises a few feet perpendicularly into the air, uttering 

 at the same time a peculiar low croaking call, more like that 

 of a frog or cricket than that of a bird, and then drops down again. 

 This is probably intended to attract the females, who, before their 

 eggs are laid, wander greatly ; or perhaps to summon a rival cock, 

 for I have seen two in such desperate fight as to allow me to 

 approach within thirty yards before they ceased their battle. 

 The female lays her eggs in some thick patch of grass, four or five 

 in number, (one writer says seven) of a dark olive colour, with or 

 without a few darker blotches, of a very thick stunted, ovoid 

 form, very obtuse at the larger end. During this season the 

 females are very shy and wary, seldom rising, though often run- 

 ning great distances ; and when closely approached and unable to 

 run further perhaps without being seen, squatting so close as to 

 allow a man or dog almost to tread on them before they take flight. 

 , I have never put up or taken a young Florikin. Soon after incu- 

 bation has fairly commenced, the cock-birds appear to leave the 

 breeding district, and gradually migrate southwards. At Trichino- 

 poly about the end of September and beginning of October, the 

 birds first met Avitli are all cock-birds, generally in pretty fair 

 plumage, but very rapidly assuming their more sober winter garb ; 

 and females are very rare till much later in the season. 



The Lesser Florikin is occasionally snared and brought in 

 alive by some bird-catchers, but the gun is had resort to in 

 general to procure it. It is invariably called Charraz by all 

 Mussulmans in Southern India, although Mr. Hogdson asserts 

 that I had no right to apply that name to it, and I have 

 not yet learnt in what particular districts it is called Lihhy 



