132 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Srdly. u Some black feathers are in general to be found on every 

 Cock-bird, not however always noticeable till the feathers of the 

 abdomen are pulled aside ; and this mottling with black varies 

 from a feather or two to so many that the bird would be consi- 

 dered by sportsmen a Black Florihin. 



Athly. " I have watched the progressive change in birds at Jalnah, 

 where a few couple always remain and breed, from the garb of the 

 female to the perfect Black Florihin, and back again from this the 

 nuptial plumage, to the more sober livery of the rest of the year. 



5thly. "I have seen more than one specimen of the cock-bird 

 in the usual grey plumage, which, from some cause or other, had 

 not as usual dropped the long ear-feathers, but these had, in con- 

 formity with the change in the system causing this alteration of 

 plumage, become white. 



" These reasons will, 1 trust, be considered sufficient to convince 

 the most sceptical sportsmen of the identity of the common and 

 Black Florihin. Other testimony might be brought forward in 

 support, but I shall only cite that of Lieut. Foljambes, in a brief 

 paper in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, who, from 

 observations in Guzerat, where they appear very numerous, states 

 it as his belief that they are the same bird, but that the Black one 

 is only met with in Guzerat during the monsoon, which, as we shall 

 soon see, is the breeding season." 



The Leek or Lesser Florikin is found throughout India, from 

 near the foot of the Himalayas to the Southernmost districts, 

 but has not, I believe, been seen in Ceylon. It is more rare 

 in Northern India and Bengal, but has been killed even in 

 Arrakan. It is most abundant in Central and Western India during 

 the rains, arid in Southern India in the cold weather, whilst those 

 that have occurred in Bengal and neighbouring districts have 

 chiefly been seen in the hot weather or commencement of the 

 rains. I saw it on the banks of the Ganges in April and May, 

 and know of its having been occasionally killed in Purneah in May 

 and June. In the Carnatic, Mysore, the Deccan, and Northern 

 Circars, it is chiefly found in the cold weather, from October to 

 February and March; and in the westernmost portion of Central 

 India and Western India, Guzerat, the neighbourhood of Mai wall 



