BENGAL FLORIKItf. 127 



white, with the tips, shafts, and outer edges of the first three 

 primaries only black ; tail black, minutely mottled with buff, and 

 with a broad white tip. 



Bill dusky above, yellowish beneath ; irides brown ; legs 

 dingy pale yellowish*; the knee-joint and the toes livid blue. 

 Length 24 to 27 inches ; extent 44 to 47 ; wing 14 ; tail 7 ; 

 tarsus 6 ; bill at front 1\ ; weight 3 J lbs. 



The female has the head (which is moderately crested), and the 

 whole upper plumage pale fulvous, with black and brown mot- 

 tlings, barrings and vermiculations ; the ear-coverts are whitish, 

 and the neck is minutely dotted with dark lines ; the primaries are 

 banded dark brown and fulvous. Irides dull yellow ; legs dirty 

 yellow. Length 28 to 29 inches ; extent 50. Weight 4 lbs. 



Young birds are probably at first colored like the females. 

 Males, in winter dress, (perhaps only the younger birds,) have the 

 head, neck, and wing-coverts as in the female, the primaries white, 

 and more or less of the lower plumage black, as in one of Gould's 

 figures. Many birds in this state of plumage are killed during 

 the cold weather and even as late as July. I think it doubtful if 

 young males assume this plumage the first year, and I am in- 

 clined to consider that it is the winter dress of all except, perhaps, 

 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. 



