CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 203 
Habits —Found on sandy flats by the sea or round lagoons, 
hunting underneath stones and shells for insects, and generally 
going about in small parties. By the time the birds leave 
the Island, about the end of April, many have almost 
completely assumed summer plumage. 
SARCOGRAMMUS INDICUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 224). 
LOBIVANELLUS INDICUS (Legge, p. 962). 
The Red-wattled Lapwing (Did-he-do-it). 
Description.—General colour above light brown, slightly 
glossed with bronze-green and lilac-red, the latter colour 
strongest on the wing coverts. Head, neck, and upper breast 
black with a broad white band running from the eye down 
the side of the neck to join the white plumage of the lower 
parts, sides, and flanks. Primary coverts and wing quills 
black with a white bar across the wing formed by the tips of 
the greater secondary coverts and the bases of the secondary 
quills, one or two of the later secondaries being entirely white. 
Rump and upper tail coverts white. Tail white, the central 
feathers with the outer half brown, and all the feathers with 
a broad black cross-band near the tip. 
Young birds are brown, not black, on the crown and 
upper breast, and grayish-white on the sides of the face and 
throat. 
Bill red at the base, black at the tip; eyelids and wattle 
lake-red ; iris reddish-brown ; legs yellow. 
Length 13; wing 8:5; tail 4°25; tarsus 3; bill from 
gape 1-4. 
Distribution —Abundant all over the low-country, except 
‘In very dry districts, where its place is largely taken by the 
next species. Not found in Burma or Upper Assam, but 
ranges through the rest of India westwards to Southern Persia 
and Arabia. 
Habits—Common on the open ground round every village 
tank, about the edges of paddy fields, and on grassy land near 
water. Its cry of Did-he-do-it must be familiar to every one. 
Generally seen in pairs. ‘ 
5 6(9)16 
MS 
