Lieut. Burgess on the Habits of some Indiari Birds. 3G3 



general colour is a brownish olive, dashed with pale brown. One 

 egg which I had was of a nearly uniform palish blue. The egg now 

 sent was found in a grassy spot on IHth December. As everything 

 relating to this noble bird is interesting, I give a description of a 

 young one brought to me on 28th December 1H49. It stood about 

 1 inches in height ; its beak was of a dirty whitish colour, nostrils 

 large ; irides clear pale hazel, and eyes very large ; back mottled, 

 very much as in the old birds, as also the wing feathers ; front of 

 the neck pale yello\vish-brown, with a dark streak running dowii the 

 sides ; legs dull yellowish-white, feet the same, knee-joints very thick ; 

 there was down on the neck. This was quite a young bird, very 

 feeble on its legs, and barely able to stand. The Black-headed 

 Bustard utters, when frightened, a harsh barking note. Its flight is 

 like that of the Heron, a steady flight, sustained by the continued 

 flapping of its large wings. 



Otis Aurita (Lath.). Florikin. 



I have not met with the Florikin sufficiently often to allow me to 

 enter into the argument as to whether the Black Florikin is the male 

 bird in its breeding plumage, or a distinct species from the common 

 brown Florikin, but Dr. Jerdon's arguments in his " Illustrations of 

 Indian Ornithology," appear conclusive, that the black and brown 

 are one and the same bird in different states of plumage. But this 

 })oint might soon be set at rest, by sportsmen and ornithologists in 

 India ascertaining whether the black-plumaged birds are ever met 

 with during the cold weather and spring. That the male of the 

 Little Bustard {Otis tetrax) should to a certain extent assume this 

 black plumage during the breeding season, affords strong ground for 

 the supposition that the Black Florikin is the male in his nuptial 

 dress. Tlae Florikin breeds during the end of the monsoon, laying 

 three eggs of a dark olive-green colour, spotted and dashed with 

 light brown, l^ths in. in length, by l-j^ths in. in width, the greatest 

 width being about the centre. The egg now sent was procured with 

 two others early in September. An officer, who was out shooting, 

 put up a Florikin and killed it, and on going to the spot where she 

 rose, found three eggs. I had two specimens of the Florikin sent 

 to me, both males, one in beautiful black plumage on 2nd October, 

 the other m the brown plumage on the 4th February. 



Family Columbid.e. 

 Genus Coltjmba. 



COLUMBA {ENAS. BlUE PiGEON. 



This Pigeon is very common in the Deccan, inhabiting holes in 

 old forts, walls, temples and wells. It breeds during the cold season, 

 laying two white eggs. Holes and ledges in wells are its favourite 

 resorts for breeding. The egg measures ly%ths in. in length, by I inch 

 and nearly -j^ths in width, and is of a clear shining white. An egg is 

 sent with this paper ; it was taken from a well on the 8th December. 



