Sandbanks of the Ganges. 7 



of hatching out, but, by the exercise of a little patience, and 

 with a little gentle persuasion from hook and blowpipe, they 

 made very nice specimens. Although absolutely certain of 

 the identity of these eggs, I shot the bird, much against my 

 will, as it was the first clutch of this species that I had taken. 

 About ten minutes after this we came upon another island, 

 round which some Terns and several of the beautiful little 

 Sttallow-Plover {Glareola lactea) were wheeling. T could 

 see at once, as we approached, that these birds had eggs, 

 and, after a search, we were rewarded by several chitches 

 of the Swallow-Plovers and a nice one of the Black-bellied 

 Tern {Sterna melanog aster). Here I should have also found 

 the eggs or young of the large River-Tern {Sterna seena), 

 for a pair of these birds were in a wild state of excitement, 

 dashing down within a foot or two of my head, but I was not 

 successful and missed them. 



For some time after this we drew blanks. We passed 

 numerous sand-spits, but no islands. As we drifted along 

 we saw numerous ghavials, their black bodies shining in 

 the sun, but as we had no rifle we could not take a shot at 

 them. Presently we came to a small island on which was a 

 colony of the Skimmer or Scissor-bill Tern [Rhynchnps 

 alhicollis) . They apparently had only just begun to lay. In 

 only five nests did we find eggs, and only one in each of 

 these. As we robbed their nests these birds kept flying 

 round us, uttering all the time their peculiar twittering cry, 

 somewhat resembling that of a Sparrow. 



The "loo^^ had now begun to blow in earnest, and although, 

 when in mid-stream, its fierce heat was somewhat tempered 

 by the water, the banks were like furnaces and the air was 

 thick with whirling sand. Fortunately the wind was behind 

 us, so that the discomfort was not so great as it would 

 otherwise have been. After tiffin, Wihleblood, who was 

 hardly so enthusiastic about eggs as myself, walked home, 

 and I continued my voyage alone. 



As the boat drifted down I saw numerous water-birds. 

 In one gaggle of Geese I counted over 100, and in a flock 

 of Swans over 40, besides various Ducks, chiefly Gadwalls, 



