126 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



The egg of this species procured in Mesopotamia, is figured in a 

 late volume of the Illustrated Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 

 It is of the usual color. H. undulata, the Houbara of Northern 

 Africa and Arabia, is often killed in Spain, and is said to be a great 

 delicacy. 0. ruficrista, A. Smith, perhaps belongs to this genus. 



Gen. Sypheotides, Lesson. 



Syn. Comatitis, Reichenbach. 



Char. — Bill moderately long and broadish ; legs lengthened, 

 with a large portion of the tibia bare ; in nuptial plumage the male 

 with more or less white wings, and mostly black plumage, highly 

 crested or with ear-tufts, and, in some, the breast plumes greatly 

 developed. Females larger than the males. 



This genus comprises the large Florikin of Bengal, and the lesser 

 Florikin of Southern India, called the Likh or Leek in the North. 

 In both of these species, the hen bird undergoes no change of 

 colour at the vernal moult, but is considerably the larger and 

 heavier bird ; whilst the cock changes to nearly all black, and 

 a crest or ear-tuft is developed. The down at the base of the 

 body-feathers is a beautiful rosy-pink colour, and these are very 

 loosely set, coming off very readily. 



40. Sypheotides bengalensis, Gmelin. 



Otis, apud Gmelin — Blyth, Cat. 1540 — 0. deliciosa, Gray — 

 Hardwicke, 111. Ind. Zool. 1, pi. 61 and 62 — O. Himalayana, 

 Vigors — Gould, Cent. Him. Birds, pi. 73,74,75 — Charms, or 

 Charaj, or Charaz, H. — called Dabar in the Nepal Terai. 



The Bengal Florikin. 



Descr. — Male, in full breeding dress, has the whole head, which 

 is very fully crested, neck, breast, and lower parts, with the thigh- 

 coverts, deep glossy black ; the plumes of the breast elongated, 

 forming a full breast-tuft, and the feathers of the neck in front 

 also lengthened ; the back, with the scapulars and the tertiaries, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts, rich olive buff, closely and minutely 

 mottled with jet black zig-zag markings, and a black dash in the 

 centre of each feather ; shoulders, wing-coverts, and quills, pure 



