otidid^:. 617 



very old males. Perhaps males of the previous year do not 

 assume the full breeding dress at the first spring moult ; and it is 

 possible that older birds may always retain it more or less, for in 

 February I have shot Cock-birds with the whole head and neck 

 black, but the crest and pectoral plumes not developed, and the 

 feathers of the neck thin and short. Hodgson indeed asserts that 

 the Cock bird always retains his fully adult livery, but that the crest 

 and breast-hackles, in their most entire fulness, are only assumed 

 as a nuptial dress. I have not myself had sufficient opportunities 

 to decide on this point ; but, judging from the analogy of the Likh 

 Florikin, I would be inclined to think that all, except perhaps very 

 old birds, do lose part of this black plumage on the neck and 

 wing-coverts in an autumn moult ; but that they assume this some- 

 what irregularly in point of time. In these imperfectly colored 

 birds, too, the back, upper tail-coverts, and tail are lighter, with 

 less black, and more of a fulvous hue with brown markings. 



Hodgson says that the sexes are equal in size. I have measured 

 and weighed many lately, and invariably found the difference 

 nearly as great as that mentioned above, and the difference of 

 colour in the irides of the two sexes is apparently constant. 

 Analogy with the Likh Florikin would also suggest the inferiority 

 in size of the male bird, which is, however, more marked in that 

 species. 



This fine bird is found throughout Lower Bengal north of the 

 Ganges, extending to the south bank above the junction of the 

 Jumna, and thence spreading through the valley of the Jumna into 

 Rajpootana, the Cis-Sutlej States, and parts of the Punjaub ; in the 

 east it occurs in Dacca, Tipperah, Sylhet and Assam, and northwards 

 to the foot of the Himalayas. It frequents large tracts of moderately 

 high grass, whether interspersed with bushes or otherwise, grass 

 churrs on rivers, and occasionally cultivation, but it appears to be 

 very capricious in its choice of ground, several often congregating 

 in some spots to the exclusion of others that seemed equally 

 favorable for it. From February to April it may be seen stalking 

 about the thin grass early in the morning, and it is noticed to be 

 often found about newly burnt patches ; or one or more may be 

 noticed winging their way to some cultivated spot, a Pea-field, 



PART. II. 4 I 



