192 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Habits —A wary bird, fond of dry open ground. It has the 
same trick as the Bustard of lying flat on the ground to escape 
detection. The wild shrill cry is rather like that of the Curlew. 
The breeding season is probably about March, and again in 
July. Two, or occasionally three, eggs are laid in a slight 
depression of the ground. 
The ground colour is buff or olive-green with blackish 
clouds and blotches, and sometimes paler purplish markings. 
Average size about 1°90 by 1°40. 
Esacus RECURVIROSTRIS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 205 ; 
Legge, p. 974). 
The Great Stone Plover. 
(Plate L., fig. 3.) 
Description.—Upper parts ashy-brown, with darker narrow 
shaft-stripes ; base of forehead, lores, orbits, and a stripe 
behind the eye white. The last-mentioned white stripe is 
bordered above and below by a black band, which runs round 
the front of the eye ; another dark stripe from the gape of the 
bill down the cheeks. Greater and median wing coverts 
lighter than the back and with a pearly tinge ; on the lesser 
wing coverts a dark-brown band edged with white. Wing 
quills blackish, with a white band on the first three primaries ; 
sixth primary with some white on the inner web, and later 
primaries white banded with black. All tail feathers, except 
the middle pair, barred with white, and black at the tip. 
Under plumage whitish, more or less tinged with gray on 
the fore-neck and upper breast ; under tail coverts tinged 
with rufous. 
Bill powerful and straight along the ridge, yellow at the 
base, remainder black ; iris very large and yellow ; legs and 
feet pale yellowish-green. 
Length 20 ; wing 10:5; tail4-75; tarsus 3°25 ; billfrom gape 3:5. 
Distribution.—Confined to dry sandy stretches near the 
shore or round coastal lagoons ; may occasionally be found 
inland round the larger tanks if they have gravelly margins 
or a small rocky island in the middle. Found throughout 
India and Burma on the banks of large rivers. 
