MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. , 201 



therefore happens to the young birds ? It is hardly possible that they follow 

 the migration of those that passed through earlier in the year and did not 

 remain to breed in India, they would not be strong enough to undertake 

 any such prolonged journey. Yet where do they go ? The Lyallpur 

 colony is practically all wheat and when this is cut there is not a blade of 

 cover anywhere for them till the kharif crops grow up some months later. 

 Do any of them reach maturity or do the bulk of them fall victims to beasts 

 and birds of prey or die from the want of protection from the sun ? I 

 have discussed the matter with several sportsmen but none of them can 

 throw any light on the subject, but as once the shooting season is over 

 the ordinary " shikari " seldom goes out into the fields, this is not to be 

 wondered at. Perhaps you will be able to give me some information on 

 the subject or invite discussion through the medium of the Journal. 



It is not as if there were only a few Quail bred in the Punjab, there must 

 be some hundreds of thousands hatched out every year, and there must be 

 some method of account for the total disappearance of such large numbers 

 before they are much more than a month old. 



Of course in other districts of the Punjab, where cultivation has not been 

 brought to such a high pitch as in Lyallpur, there is probably plenty of 

 cover for the young birds after the crops are cut. 



Native zamindars all tell me that they frequently see young Quail when 

 cutting the crops, but they all agree that they disappear entirely once the 

 crops are cut. 



I might also add that I have had every opportunity of studying the 

 question as during the 5 years I was in Lyallpur I was touring practically 

 the whole of May and June and as I am a keen egg collector I was out 

 practically every day hunting for eggs. 



J. LINDSAY SMITH, Capt., i. a. 

 Dalhousie, Ibth September 1912. 



No. XXIII.— THE GEEAT INDIAN BUSTARD 

 {E UPOD TLS ED W ABB SI) . 



As to the Indian Bustard, I am sorry your article does not contain the 

 description of the way in which Bhils catch the hens. • I remember telling 

 Mr. C. A. Crump about it. The hen bustard is very devoted to her egg or 

 newly hatched chick. The Bhils set out and find an egg or newly hatched 

 chick, and the mother is never far off. They make a circular ring of dry 

 grass and sticks round the egg or chicks, and set it on fire. The old bird 

 sees this, comes up and tries to beat out the fire with her wings, the Bhils 

 being in hiding. She may or she may not beat out the fire, but any how 

 she singes her wings and cannot fly. The Bhils then run her down. I 

 have not seen this done (or I should have stopped it) but have often been 

 told of it. 



A. H.A. SIMCOX, i.c.s. 



Dhulia, E. Khanbksh, April 1912. 



No. XXIV.— LESSER FLORICAN {SYPHEOTIS AURITA) 

 IN BHUTAN DUARS. 



In Vol. XXI, No. 3, page 728, Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker in his article on 

 the Game Birds of India, Burma and Ceylon, states that Sypheotis aurita, 

 the Lesser Florican, has never been obtained in any district east of the 

 Teesta river. It may be of some interest to note that it does occur, some 

 distance to the east of this river. 

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