by the EngliJ}} in Bengal. 323 



hens and chickens fkulking and fcudding between the buftes. 

 For food, they are ncitherTo palatable nor tender as the tame 

 fowl, 



Florekins are amonjrft the non defcripta, I believe, in or- 

 nitholotry. A drawinc: can alone exhibit an adequate repre- 

 ftntation of this fine bird; it harbours in natural paftures 

 amongd the long grafs, on the extremity of lakes, and the 

 borders of fwanipy grounds, lying between marfhy foils and 

 the uplands. Hence itsflefli feems to partake, in colour and 

 relirti, of the nature and flavour of both the wild duck and 

 the pheafant; the colour of the flefli on the breaft and wing 

 being brown, but on the legs perfe6lly white, and the whole 

 of the moft delicate, juicy, and favoury flavour conceivable. 

 There are only three claws to its feet ; the roots of the fea- 

 thers of the female are of a fine pink colour. 



When the cock rifes up, fome fine black velvet feathers, 

 which commonly lie fniooth upon his head, then ftand up 

 ereiS, and form a tuft upon his crown and his neck. 



When fet by dogs, it lies clofe, and fcarcely ever rifes till 

 the fowler is fo near as alniod to tread upon it. The neft of 

 it is made aniongft the grafs. 



You read of them in defcriptions of anticnt knightly fefti- 

 vals of the Nevilles, Percys, Mortimers, Beauchamps, Mon- 

 tacutes, De Courceys, Mohuns, Courtenays, and Mowbrays, 

 under the name, I believe, q{ Jlaiiderkins ; but whether they 

 were then native of England, I am uncertain. 



The height of the cock florekin of Bengal, from the ground, 

 when he (lands, to the top of his back, is fcventeen inches. 



The height from the ground to the top of his head, when 

 he holds it upriijht, is twenty-feven inches. 



The Icnsfth from the tip of his back to the end of his tail, 

 is twenlv-fevcn inches. 



In no part of fouthern Afia did T ever hear of woodcocks ; 

 but amongft the breed of fnipes there is one called the painted 

 fnipe, larger th;ui ordinary, and which well compenfates for 

 want of ihe former. 



Fifhing, boih with lines and diverfitv of nets, is the em- 

 ploymenrwf other fcts of the party; or the hawking of he- 

 rons, cranes, iKxks, and hares, with the falcon; and of par- 

 tridge and lefTer birds,, with the fparrow and fmall hawki*. 



Ladies now and then attend the early field : if.it be to uevv 

 the courfinir or hawking, they mount upon fmall gentled (for 

 ihey areall gentle) female elephaius,furm()iinicd with arched- 

 canopietland ruriained ieats ; othcrwife they ride on horle- 

 back ; i^iorc frequeiiily however in palanquins, unck'r which, 

 as well 4.i under the ekphants and liurlcs, the l/iiJs, (pHrii- 

 X i cuUrly 



