TRE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 1119 



they will ever be found in the dense grass and ekra which at 

 these times may grow to a height of 15 feet, nor will it even then 

 be obtained in such unless there is no other more suitable ground 

 within many miles. Of course, when repeatedly shot at, birds will 

 temporarily take refuge in such cover and sometimes when they 

 are much worried either by sportsmen or village pot hunters they 

 will lie up in heavy cover during the heat of the day, coming 

 out to feed in the mornings and evenings. 



Mr. A. Primrose, who was for some years in Goalpara, in 

 writing to me about the Florican says : — "It has a very decided 

 predilection for certain spots, and if you kill the present occupant 

 another is sure to be very shortly found in the same place ; one 

 such spot was the grazing ground of the Mornai Tea Estate and 

 on this piece of land I must have accounted for fully a dozen 

 birds and my predecessor for as many more." 



" The birds, as a rule, in grass land, lie very close and rise 

 generally well within shot and as they are not what I should call 

 good shot carriers No. 6. shot will be found quite large enough to 

 crumple them up. As a matter of fact I have killed two or 

 three — all females if I remember rightly — with collecting car- 

 tridges only loaded with No. 9 or 10 shot. When, however, the 

 bird is found in open or burnt patches it is exceedingly wary and 

 very hard to get right within shot." 



" The flight, when well on the wing, while not being rapid, is 

 strong and direct." 



I have occasionally shot them when out snipe shooting flushing 

 them from small patches of grass between the rice fields, and 

 No. 8 or 9 shot have always been enough to tumble them over, 

 for though big birds their plumage is soit and lax and affords 

 little protection. 



When once flushed they generally fly a good distance, sometimes 

 a mile or so, before alighting and are then difficult to find and to 

 flush again, as they are gi-eat runners and move on a long distance 

 before stopping. 



Hodgson says : — " The Florican is seldom found in thick cover. 

 When he is, he lies close, so that you may flush him at your foot ; 

 but in his ordinary haunts, amid the scattered tufts of more open 



