and the neighbouring country occurred during the hot weather, at which time they leave the dried-up 

 districts of Southern India and migrate north in search of suitable shelter and food. As great part of the 

 eastern portion of Central India, from the Godavery to Midnapore and Chota Nagpore, consists more or less 

 of forest and jungles, the majority are drawn westward into Malwah, Rajpootana, and Guzerat. Few occur 

 in Malabar, but in Southern Canara there is at least one locality where they may be found in cold weather. 



" The Lesser Florikin frequents long grass in preference to any other shelter ; it is, however, often to be 

 met with in grain-fields, in fields of cotton and dholl, and in the Carnatic so much in those of the grain 

 called Warragoo, as to be called in Tamool IVarragoo kolee, or Warragoo Fowl. It feeds chiefly in the 

 morning, and is then easily raised ; but during the heat of the day it lies very close, and is often flushed with 

 difficulty. I have known an instance of one being killed by a horse stepping on it. Now and then an 

 exceedingly wary one is met with, which runs to a great distance and takes wing well out of shot. When 

 walking or running it raises its tail, the central feathers being those most elevated, while the lateral ones 

 diverge downwards, as in domestic fowls, &c. The chief food of the Florikin is grasshoppers, but I have 

 also found blister-beetles (JMylabris), Scarabcei, centipedes, and even small lizards in the stomachs of those I 

 have examined. When flushed suddenly it utters a kind of sharp " quirk" or note of alarm, and it is said 

 also to emit a feeble plaintive chirp or piping note when running or feeding. Its flesh is very delicate and 

 of excellent flavour, and in India is the most esteemed of all the game birds. Its pursuit is consequently a 

 favourite sport, and, from the open nature of the ground it frequents, it is well adapted for being hawked. I 

 have killed it occasionally with the Lugger {Falco jugger), but generally with the Shaheen {Falco peregri- 

 natoi-). Should the latter miss her first stoop, I have known the Florikin accelerate its speed so greatly 

 that the Falcon was unable to come up with it again under 600 yards or more. I have seen one struck 

 dead by the Wokhab {Aquila mndhiand) ; I have slipped a Lugger at it, which was in hot pursuit, though at 

 some little distance behind, when two of these Eagles came down from a vast height and joined in the 

 chase. One of them made a headlong swoop at it, which the Florikin most skilfully avoided, only, however, 

 to fall a victim to the talons of the other, which stooped almost immediately after its confederate, and 

 dashed the poor bird lifeless to the ground. . It had not, however, time to pick it up, for I rode up, and the 

 Eagles soared off most unwillingly, and circled in the air above me for a length of time. The Florikin had 

 its back laid open the whole length. 



" A few appear to breed in all parts of Southern India from July to November, for I have put the hen- 

 bird off her nest in August in the Deccan, and in October near Trinchinopoly ; and have heard of the hen 

 incubating still later, up to January indeed; but the majority breed, in Guzerat, Malwah, and Southern 

 Rajpootana, from July to September. I have found the cock-bird commencing the assumption of the black 

 plumage at the end of April, and have killed examples with the black ear-tuft just beginning to sprout, but 

 with hardly any other black feathers appearing. In other instances I have noticed that the ear-tufts did not 

 make their appearance until the bird was quite mottled with black. The full breeding-plumage is generally 

 completed during July and August, at which season the male bird generally takes up a position on some 

 rising ground, from which it wanders but little, for many days even ; and during the morning especially, but 

 in cloudy weather at all times of the day, every now and then rises a few feet perpendicularly into the air, 

 uttering at the same time a peculiar low croaking call, more like that of a frog or cricket than that of a 

 bird, and then drops down again. This is probably intended to attract the females, who before their eggs 

 are laid, wander greatly ; or perhaps to summon a rival cock, for I have seen two in such desperate fight as 

 to allow me to approach within thirty yards before they ceased their battle. The female lays her eggs in 

 some thick patch of grass ; they are four or five in number, of a dark olive colour, with or without a few 

 darker blotches, of a very thick stunted, ovoid form, very obtuse at the larger end. During this season the 

 females are very shy or wary, seldom rising, though often running great distances ; and when closely 

 approached and unable to run further, perhaps without being seen, squatting so close as to allow a man or 

 dog almost to tread on them before they take flight." 



The male during the breeding-season has the head, neck, ear-tufts, middle wing-coverts, and under surface 

 black ; chin, lower part of the neck behind, and a large patch on the wing white ; remainder of the plumage 

 light brown, beautifully mottled with dark brown ; three outer primaries dull brown, the remainder barred 

 and mottled with dark brown ; irides pale yellow, clouded with dusky ; bill dark brown above, the edges of 

 the upper and the lower mandible yellowish. 



The female is fulvous yellow, with the head, back, wings, and tail clouded and barred with deep brown ; 

 on the front, at the neck, two irregular brownish streaks; chin and throat white; under surface dull white; 

 bill, legs, and irides as in the male. 



The Plate represents the two sexes about the natural size. 



