OTIDHLE. 625 



most probably in the N. W. Provinces. I have not been able to 

 trace the origin of the Anglo-Indian word ' FlorikinJ but was once 

 informed that the little Bustard of Europe was sometimes called 

 Flanderhin. Latham gives the word ' Flercher as an English name, 

 and this, apparently, has the same origin as Florikin. 



The small Bustard of Europe, Otis tetrox, L., now classed as 

 Tetrax campestris, is stated to have occurred in the Peshawur valley ; 

 but as I have not seen a specimen from that locality, nor heard 

 of one having been examined, I shall only give a brief description 

 of the species here, without enumerating it as one of the ' Birds of 

 India.' The bill and legs are short, the male has the usual mottled 

 brown plumage above, the wing-coverts and the base of the 

 primaries white, the rest of the primaries greyish-black, and the 

 secondaries patched black and white ; the tail with two dark cross- 

 bars, and the tip and base white ; cheeks, ear-coverts, and neck 

 bluish-grey, edged with black, and below this a white ring in the 

 form of a necklace all round the neck. Length 17 inches ; wing 

 9f . The female has less white than the male, wants the white ring, 

 and the neck is coloured like the back. In winter the males are 

 said to resemble females. This small Bustard, or what in India 

 would be called a Florikin, occurs throughout Central and Western 

 Asia, and North Africa, and is said at times to be gregarious. 

 It is stated to frequent open plains, and to feed chiefly on vegetable 

 matter. 



Africa appears to be the Head Quarters of the Bustard family, 

 and there are several forms peculiar to that Continent, whence 

 some spread into Arabia. Otis rhaad, Shaw, 0. ccerulescens. 

 Vieill., (Verrauzcii, A. Smith), and O. scolopacea, Temminck, 

 ( Vigorsii, Smith), are classed by Bonaparte under Trachelotis, 

 Reichenbach ; and 0. afra, Linn., and 0. afroides, Smith, are 

 placed under Afrotis, Bonaparte. The last two Bustards, (if really 

 distinct from each other) have quite the coloration of the 

 Sypheotides group ; and the same remark applies to 0. rhaad. 



Otis senegalensis, Vieillot., (rhaad apud Riippell) and O. melano- 

 gaster, Riippell, are placed under Lissotis, Reich. The latter 

 also has much the plumage of a Sypheotides in non-breeding 

 dress. Perhaps, from a want of knowledge of the changes of plu- 



PART II. 4 K 



