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black ; in the female, and in the male 

 in winter, it is brown above and 

 yellowish below. Iris bright red in 

 the male, brown in the female. Legs 

 and feet black and yellow in the male 

 and greenish yellow in the female. 



Male is brown on the forehead and 

 crown ; the sides of the head, neck 

 and lower parts are white, vermiculat- 

 ed with brown on the sides of the 

 body. There is a collar of glossy 

 greenisb black which is lost in winter. 

 The upper parts are glossy greenish- 

 brown, barred white on the tail coverts. 

 There is a broad white bar across the 

 wing and a black tip to the primaries. 



Females have a brown line through 

 the lores and eyes and there is more 

 or less brownish tint and brown mark- 

 ing on the white parts. The wings 

 are entirely brown. There is no collar 

 and no gloss on the upper parts. 



Immature birds resemble the 

 females. 



Distribution. — India, East Indies, 

 South and Central China. It is a 

 summer visitant in the Yangtse 

 Valley. 



Nest and Eggs. — Jerdon thus 

 describes the breeding habits of the 

 Indian bird : — " It breeds generally in 

 old trees, often at some distance from 

 the water, occasionally in ruined 

 houses, temples, old chimneys and the 

 like, laying eight or ten small white 

 eggs. " 



Notes. — This bird seems to prefer 

 marshy streams, or even ditches which 

 run through the paddy, to the larger 

 open waters. It is frequently seen 

 in this part of the Yangtse Valley 

 during the summer months. 



