THE BENGAL FLORICAN. 25 



heads and necks are like those of the females. In one specimen, 

 shot on the 24th of January, the black plumes are moulting in 

 about the head and neck also. An adult, killed in March, is 

 entirely in the black and white livery, though the plumes are 

 less developed than in full breeding plumage. This is quite in 

 accordance with Hodgson's observations ; and my own present 

 impression is, that the majority of, if not all, adult males retain 

 the black and white plumage permanently, although with the 

 ruff and plumes much less conspicuous than at the nuptial 

 season, and that the birds observed to moult into this livery 

 by Blyth must have been young ones, or birds abnormally de- 

 pressed by captivity. 



Jerdon, however, thinks that, with the exception of some few 

 birds — very old ones probably — the males do lose much of the 

 black plumage during the cold season. 



To return to Mr. Hodgson : " The Florican is a shy and wary 

 bird, entirely avoiding fully-peopled and fully-cultivated districts, 

 but not averse from the neighbourhood of a few scattered 

 squatters whose patches of cultivation, particularly of the 

 mustard plants (Rai, Tori, and S arson) are acceptable to it as 

 multiplying its chances of appropriate food. 



"This exquisitely-flavoured bird is a rather promiscuous 

 feeder ; small lizards, young snakes, insects of most sorts, but 

 above all locusts, and after them, grasshoppers, beetles, the 

 sprouts and seeds and succulent runners of various grasses, 

 berries, stony fruits, aromatic lactiferous leaves, and stems of 

 various small plants, with mustard tops and other dainties, 

 all contributing to its nourishment. The largest portion of 

 its usual food is vegetals ; but when insects abound, and especi- 

 ally locusts, they are almost exclusively eaten. Cerealia are 

 eschewed ; but plenty of hard-seeded grasses and such like 

 are taken, and a goodly portion of gravel to digest them. 



"The Florican is seldom found in thick cover. When 

 he is, he lies close, so that you may flush him at your 

 foot ; but in his ordinary haunts, amid the scattered tufts of 

 more open grass plats he can be neared with difficulty only, and 

 No. 5 shot and a good heavy gun are required to bring him 

 down at 40 to 60 yards distance. His flight is strong, with a 

 frequent rapid even motion of the wings, and if he be at all 

 alarmed, it is seldom suspended under 200 to 300 yards, whilst 

 not unfrequently it is continued so as to carry the bird wholly 

 out of sight and pursuit. When flying, the neck is extended 

 before the body, and the legs tucked up under it, whereas the 

 whole family of the Herons fly with neck retracted over the 

 back, and legs stretched out behind — differences, the rationale 

 of which can as little be conjectured as that of the gyrations of 

 the dog ere he lays himself down to repose. The walk of the 

 Florican, like that of the Heron, is firm and stately, easy and 

 graceful : he can move afoot with much speed, and is habitu= 



