428 ZOOLOGY. 



and hiding as the Floriken of India does. Indeed this 

 bird is a true Floriken in all its habits, and the plumage 

 of the male undergoes a similar change to that of the two 

 Indian species of Sypheotides, being grey in the winter 

 and becoming in great measure black in the spring. 

 Specimens shot in May had assumed the black plumage 

 to a great extent. The flesh is delicious, quite equal to 

 that of the Indian Floriken, which is one of the most 

 delicately-flavoured game birds, and far superior to 

 the large Bustards. 



Famii^t CHAEADEID^, 



242. .ffidicnemus crepitans, Temm. 



Piipp. Syst. Uebers. No. 395. 



Common near the coast. I cannot see any difierence 

 from European specimens. 



243. JE. affinis, Eiipp. 



Eiipp. Mus. Senck. ii. p. 210; Syst. Uebers. p. Ill, t, xlii. 



I only saw this bird twice or three times, and I killed 

 in August a single specimen in the Anseba valley, into 

 which it appeared to be migrating, as I saw none before, 

 but both I and Mr. Jesse saw it there more th&n once 

 just before leaving. It appeared to have precisely the 

 sg,me habits as the common Stone Curlew. 



The figure of this bird in Eiippell's " Systematische 

 Uebersicht " is unsatisfactory. This is the only instance 

 in the book, I believe, as most of the plates are admir- 

 able, and give an excellent representation of the birds 

 figured. 



