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fuscous ; the breast, scapulars, lesser 

 wing coverts and outer ends of 

 primaries deeper fuscous. Tiie rest of 

 the plumage is white except a black 

 band at the tip of the tail. 



No other mottled Lapwing has both 

 white secondaries and a hind toe. 



Distribution. — India, Eastern Asia 

 and China generally. It is a summer 

 visitant in the Yangtse Valley, and is 

 much more plentiful during migration. 



Nets and Eggs.— These Plovers nest 

 in the wheat and paddy fields from 

 April to June. The nest is generally 

 placed on the grassy ridges between the 

 cultivated fields. There are usually 

 three eggs to the clutch. They are 

 yellowish-olive in color more or less 

 heavily spotted and blotched with dark 

 brown and dull purplish grey. 



Notes. — During the nesting season 

 the male bird guards the nest and the 

 sitting female, boldly driving away any 

 other bird which may happen to come 

 near. Even the large Black-eared 

 Kites (Milvus melanotis) are un- 

 hesitatingly attacked and put to rout. 

 The call is a loud, harsh scream which 

 is uttered both when on the wing and 

 from the ground. 



LAPWING. 



VANELLUS VANELLUS (l). 

 (Vanellus cristatus W. and M.) 



Description. — Length 13 inches. 

 Bill black. Legs and toes dull orange: 

 claws black. Iris dark brown. 



Forehead, crown, and back of head 

 black with green reflections and ending 

 with a crest from one to three inehes 

 long. Back olive green with purple 

 and bronze reflections. Throat and 



