130 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



The shell is hard and strong, and is generally somewhat glossy, 

 frequently exhibiting creases or wrinkles, more especially at the 

 larger end. 



The ground-colour varies from pure white to pale sea-green and 

 pinky- cream colour. Occasionally they are quite devoid of markings, 

 but generally they are more or less blotched and clouded with pale 

 yellowish-brown and purplish-pink. 



They pair for life. At the breeding season they assume a pure 

 white collar, immediately below the crimson papillose skin of the 

 neck, which also becomes brighter in colour, and in old birds 

 the tertiaries and some of the scapulars become white and more 

 lengthened, hanging over gracefully and exceeding the tail. 



The Sarus occasionally breeds in the cold weather, thrice have I 

 found eggs at that season, once at Gangrar, 60 miles from Neemuch, 

 on the 5th February ; again at Jeerun, 12 miles from Neemuch, on 

 the 3rd March; and once at Saugor, Central Provinces, on the 18th 

 February. A note on this subject was published in the Society's 

 Journal, Vol. II., p. 149. 



Mr. Littledale found eggs on the 4th October in a nest from which 

 he had previously taken eggs on the 21st September, and on the 3rd 

 October he also took eggs. This is late. 



873.— THE PAINTED SNIPE. 



Rhynchcea bengalensis, Lin. 



The Painted Snipe occurs more or less commonly in suitable locali= 

 ties throughout Western India, but is somewhat locally distributed. 

 It frequents swamps and marshes, and is common on the borders of 

 tanks and j heels, and along the banks of rivers, where these are 

 fringed with rushes, reeds, and grasses. 



They are permanent residents, but necessarily vary their quarters 

 a good deal, as the tanks and jheels dry up or otherwise, but they 

 appear to be much more common in the rains and cold weather than 

 at other times. 



