SOME BIRDS OF LUDHIANA DISTRICT, PUNJAB. 597 



However on my return some time later I crossed the same 

 fallow field and saw one squatting and watching me about 15 

 inches from a tuft of grass. As 1 went towards it to my asto- 

 nishment two others got up from the same patch, and of these I 

 secui-ed a male. This ground was a couple of hundred yards 

 from the bank of the Budhan Nala which had recently been 

 flooded by the heavy rains and turned into a sheet of water. 

 It is probable, therefore, that these Painted Snipe were flooded 

 out and so driven to such an unusual feeding ground. They 

 ' very possibly breed in the vicinity as the ovary of the female 

 shot contained eggs. 



The species was not observed again until October when one 

 was seen on 3rd October, and three on the 5th of the month. 

 These were flushed from flooded herbage near the sides of the 

 Budhan Nala. 

 1496. The Whiskered Tern — Hydrochelidon hyhrida (Pall.). 



A party of 5 Whiskered Terns was seen passing up the Budhan 

 Nala on 25th June, and 2 or 3 immature birds were fishing on 

 the floods by the Nala on 14th September. 



1503. The Indian River Tern — Sterna seena, Sykes. 



Observed commonly throughout my stay. 



This species breeds in colonies on the sandbanks of the River 

 Sutlej in April and May. 



1504. The Blackbellied Tern — Sterna melanogaster, Temm. 



Curiously enough the only individuals of this species that I 

 observed were a couple at Ladhowal on October 7th, yet 1 had 

 been on the look out for it. 



It breeds on the sandbanks of i Sutlej in April and May, but 

 is less common than the last species. 

 1510. The Little Tern — Sterna minuta, L. 



I found a small colony of this species breeding on a sandbank 

 of the Sutlej near the Railway bridge in May 1910. 

 1517. The Indian Skimmer — Rhychops albicollis, Swains, 



Single birds were observed on June 28th and July 28th. The 

 species breeds fairly commonly on the sandbanks of the River 

 Sutlej in April and May, and I found several nests when sta- 

 tioned at Phillaur in 1910. 

 152-. Sp. ? Pelican— Pefeca^Ms, Sp. ? 



Four or five Pelicans of some species were seen in the 

 distance on 7th October ; they were sitting on a sandbank of 

 the River Sutlej about half a mile above the Railway bridge. 



1528. The Little Cormorant — Phalacrocorax javanicus (Horsf.). 



Found commonly at Ladhowal, and occasionally visiting the 

 Budhan Nala, in Jxdy, August, September, and October. 



1529. The Indian Darter. — Plotus melanogaster (Penn.). 



Observed about the embankments at Ladhowal as follows : 

 two on 3rd July, several on 24th July, and one on 5th August. 

 1542. The Black Ibis — Inocotis papillosus (Temm.) 



A flock of Black Ibis was seen on 25th September, and three 

 birds on 29th September. 

 1552. The Painted Stark — Pseudotantalus leucocephalus (Ponn.). 



Observed on the Sutlej near Ladhowal as follows : one on 

 3rd July, two on 2nd September, and one on 7th October. 

 1554. The Eastern Purple Heron — Ardea manillensis (Sharpe.). 



Single birds were seen at Ladhowal on 3rd July, and by the 

 Budhan Nala on 14th July and 3rd October. 



