2"2(j GAME-BIRDS OF INDIA 



worn by the animals as they fed. These two eggs were taken at 

 8adiya in the Dibrugarh district and I heard of two other chitches 

 being found by sportsmen in that district, one in March and the 

 other in July. 



In 1906 and the following years I employed a large number of 

 men to work the Terai land at the foot of the Himalayas in the 

 Cxoalpara and Mangaldai districts and succeeded eventually in 

 obtaining a very fine series of eggs, and in all over ninety have 

 now passed through my hands. 



The result of this work shows beyond all doubt that the normal 

 breeding-season of the Florican is much earlier than has hitherto 

 been thought to be the case. The months in which the vast majority 

 of eggs are laid are March and April, and it may be said that the 

 height of the laying-season is from the 10th March to the 15th April. 

 Some few birds will, however, be found to be laying in May and yet 

 a few others as late as June, but in this latter case I fancy the 

 clutches are second layings in place of others which have been taken 

 or destroyed. 



Messrs. Shillingford, Whymper and others, have certainly taken 

 their eggs in June, and the latter assures me that he believes that 

 June is the normal laying-month for Florican in the north-western 

 Nepal Terai. All these gentlemen have, however, taken but a casual 

 nest here and there, and I still consider the weight of evidence points 

 to the Florican being an early breeder. 



The following are the dates on which I have taken, or had taken, 

 or seen in situ Florican's eggs : — 



