LESSEE FLOEICAN 137 



whereas the feathering on this part in the big florican is full and 

 bushy. But the likh has his own decoration in the shape of 

 three long and very narrow feathers, mere shafts, with a tassel 

 of webbing at the tip, on each side of the head. Nothing like 

 this is found in any other bird except some of the black birds of 

 paradise of the genus Parotia from New Guinea. 



The likh male has not so much white on the wing as the 

 large florican, and he goes into hen plumage for the winter, still, 

 however, retaining a white wing patch. In this species also the 

 cocks are smaller than the hens, and to a greater extent ; the 

 cocks weigh about a pound, the hens half as much again. 



This interesting bird is one of the many fascinating species 

 which are purely Indian ; it is not even found in Ceylon, and 

 though its range in India is wider than that of the large florican, 

 it does not cover the whole country, its real home, according to 

 Hume, being the drier portions of the Peninsula. As, however, 

 it is irregularly migratory, and, like migratory birds generally, 

 turns up individually as a straggler, it may be found almost any- 

 where, at times in open plain country. There is, however, a 

 general movement north and west during the rains, when the 

 birds breed, and after this they drop back southwards ; but the 

 passage is so irregular and dependent on climatic conditions, that 

 the birds cannot be looked for with certainty year after year in 

 the same localities. 



This has rather encouraged the iniquitous practice of shooting 

 them during the breeding season, a poaching trick rendered 

 unfortunately easy by the peculiar display of the cock, which 

 at this time springs about a couple of yards from the grass with 

 a frog-like croak, sinking again parachute-fashion with outspread 

 wings. This is repeated about every quarter of an hour, and no 

 doubt attracts the hens, to say nothing of rivals, for cocks have 

 been seen fighting desperately. The hen also springs at times, 

 and the cock may do so without calling. The likh affects cover 

 more than any other of the Indian bustards, chiefly grass and 

 crops, through which it runs with great speed, holding up its 

 tail in a folded shape like a common hen's. Other bustards 

 change the shape of their tails in this way too, but not so much 

 as the likh. The fowl-like tail carriage and partiality for the 



