FURTHER ADDITIONS TO THE SINDH AVIFAUNA. 109 



Getting across the bed of stream we came upon a Fox, [Fidpes 

 leucopus^ which was soon brought to bag, and tied on at the 

 back of the camel, but not without strong protest by the driver, 

 who seemed to think it would defile his ship of the desert and 

 himself. 



The sun having now risen pretty high, and finding we had 

 not made much progress, a suggestion to give up our first pro- 

 gramme for Houbara shooting was discussed, and carried by 

 a majority, including Camel-driver and Shikaree, and so we 

 made a detour for the most likely ground, reaching it a little 

 too early, the sun not being sufficiently hot for the Bustards to 

 take shelter uuder the bushes. 



A halt being called under a rather scantily-clothed Acacia, 

 breakfast was spread and enjoyed after a morning ride. We re- 

 mounted at exactly 10 o'clock, and skirting a small range of 

 hills came upon a piece of ground profusely clothed with Grewia 

 bushes, and here began real work. Separating ourselves, as was 

 necessary, we entirely cut off any chance of escape if the birds 

 were not anxious to get shot at ; and as we narrowed the circle 

 found ourselves in luck by the sight of five very good-sized birds. 

 Four of these were bagged, among them two beautiful Cock birds. 

 We hunted up the fifth, which escaped J. G/.'s gun, but failed to 

 get a sight of it, notwithstanding our climbing up and down 

 several ragged hills. 



Houbara were not abundant this season, and, strange to say, 

 the Grewia berries, which they chiefly live upon, were not even 

 ripe on their first arrival. Florican (I mean the Bastard Florican, 

 Sypheotides auritus) have not at all put in an appearance this 

 year, owing, probably, to no rain having fallen. Natives assert 

 that as sure as the Scarlet Mite (Trombidium tinctorium) makes its 

 appearance after a fall of rain in November, the Bastard Florican 

 is as certain to follow. I cannot vouch for the last, but the Scar- 

 let Mite has always been seen after a shower in the winter 

 months. 



Finding no more traces of Houbara, we made for a piece of 

 water about two miles west. Here we found large shady trees 

 with several nests of Gyps bengalensis, but no eggs in them. 



On the water we got some Teal and Podiceps minor, and by 

 one o'clock a small collection of the smaller birds. They were all 

 species already recorded as occurring in Sindh. Having skinned 

 some of the more valuable examples we setoff on our return jour- 

 ney, arriving at the station at 9-30 p.m., the entire bag consist- 

 ing of Gyps bengalensis, Falcojuggur, Micronisus badius, Gypsful- 

 vescens, Buteoferox, Yunx torquilla, Querquedula crecca, Pipastes 

 arboreus, P. maculatus, an Adjutant, out of whose craw we got 

 half a dozen examples of a Lizard, Uromastix hardwickii, 



