SYPHEOTIDES AURITUS.

Lesser Florikin.

Otis aurita, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 660.—Less. in Belanger’s Voy. aux Ind. Orient 278; Atl |
pl. 10.—Jard. and Selb. Il. Orn., vol. i. pl. 40, and vol. ii. pl. 92.—Jerd Ill Ind io ‘ Bilis
— fulva, Sykes, in Proc. of Comm. of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc. part ii. 1832 | 155 a al
— marmorata, Hardw. and Gray, Ill. Ind. Zool., p. 60. poet
Eupodotis aurita, Gray, Gen. of Birds, vol. iii, Pp. 533 ; Hupodotis, sp. 18.
Sypheotides auritus, Gray, List of Spec. of Birds in Coll. Brit.
Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 259.—Jerd. Birds of I
Passarage Bustard, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., p. 228.—Id. Gen. H
Charaz or Charas, Hindoos in the South of India. Chulla-charz
in Hindoostan.

Mus., part iii. p. 57.—Blyth, Cat. of Birds in
ndia, vol. ii. part ii. p- 619.

ist., vol. viil. p. 365.

» Hindoos of some parts of India. Likh, Hindoos

Tan-mor of the Mahrattas. Kan-noul, Canarese. Niala mmili, Telinga. All three names signify Ground Peafowl
Wurragu Koh, Tamool. =

Khartitar of the Bheels near Mhow, 2. e., Grass Partridge, vulgo Ghas Ka murghi or Grass-fowl. (Jerdon. )

 

How profusely ornamented are the males of most, if not all, the members of the Otidide, or family of
Bustards !—some being adorned with a lengthened crest, others with plumes on the neck or springing
from the ears, and others, again, being distinguished by some peculiar coloration of the body. In every
case, I believe, these adornments are seasonal, and only retained during the period of reproduction ; for
_ their assumption by the male is always accompanied by demonstrations of love for the female. In no
instance, perhaps, is ornamentation more singularly displayed than in the species here represented—one of
the smallest members of its family; curiously enough, also, in this instance the male is smaller than the
female, a circumstance which combined with the difference in its colouring during the breeding-season, has
sadly puzzled many of the travellers and residents in India, by whom the bird has been considered as two
distinct species. But Mr. Jerdon has satisfactorily proved, both in his ‘Illustrations of Indian Ornithology ’
and in his ‘ Birds of India,’ that the Common and Black Florikin, as it is called in that country, are one and
the same species. His reasons for believing them to be identical are :—

“Ist. All Black Florikins hitherto examined have been male birds.

“2ndly. The Black Florikin agrees exactly in size and comparative dimensions with the male of the
Common Florikin, but more especially in the length of wing and in the acumination of the primary quills,
the essential point of difference from the female.

“3rdly. 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 varies from a feather or two
to so many that the specimen would be considered by sportsmen a Black Florikin.

«Athly. I have watched the progressive change in birds at Jalnah, where a Ae couple always remain
and breed, from the garb of the female to the perfect Black Florikin, and back again from this, the nuptial
plumage, to the more sober livery of the rest of the year.

“Sthly. I have seen more than one specimen of the cock-bird in the grey plumage which, from some
cause or other, had not as usual dropped the long ear-feathers ; but these had, in conformity with the change
in the system causing this alteration of plumage, become white. | ee :

“ These reasons will, I trust, be sufficient to convince the most sceptical of the identity of the oooamo
and Black Florikin. Other testimony might be brought forward in support, but I shall cite only chat of
« Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal,’ who, from observations
in Guzerat, where they appear very numerous, states it as his pone te ey as the cane ne but that
the Black one is only met with in Guzerat during the monsoon, which is the bree ee -

“The Leek or Lesser Florikin,” continues Mr. Jerdon, “is found throughout India, from near the base

: re sant districts, but has not, I believe, been seen in Ceylon. It is more rare
of the Himalayas to the southernmost di , = lécié mostnabtindandaan (@enmalena
in Northern India and Bengal, but has been killed er in Arrakan. herichieedinen te an
Western India during the rains, and in Southern India in the cold weather ; | | ae
5 Pee ee ‘e chiefly been seen in the hot weather or commenceme
in Bengal and the neighbouring districts have ¢ i i 4 nowmof ates havical ou een te
rains. I saw it on the banks of the Ganges in April and oe . co Reeth it incl
killed in Purneah in May and June. In the Carnatic, eee oc ae vothcnetaarie denen
found in the cold weather, from October to pee a f Malwah and Indore, and the southernmost
Central India and Western India, Guzerat, Oe beeen ve ae The few that I saw in Saugor
portion of Rajpootana chiefly during the rains, from June to Se}

Lieut. Foljambes, in a brief paper in the