MIGRATION OF BIRDS. 297 
the long journey north. Also in some cases confusion has 
arisen from inexperienced persons failing to distinguish 
between the Painted Snipe, which is a resident species, and 
the migrant Pintail Snipe. The loitermg records for this 
species are thus not very trustworthy. 
Loiterers are more common among the “ Salt-mud Waders.’ 
In the mangrove swamps and on the adjoining shores of the 
lagoons in the Puttalam District I have seen from May to July 
quite a number of Whimbrel and Curlew Stints and a few 
Redshanks and Little Stints. Most of these birds are not 
in breeding plumage, but some bear traces of their summer 
dress. On the big brackish lagoon at Hatagala, in the 
Tangalla district, I have at the same time of year come 
across the Greenshank and the Little Greenshank. I have 
never yet, however, discovered any traces of breeding among 
birds of these species. 
The loiterers are most numerous among our Sand Plovers, 
and it is in this sub-family that we get the most distinct signs 
of the evolution of resident forms. As we have seen, the 
Eastern Kentish Plover and the Little Ringed Plover have 
already reached the resident stage. The Lesser Sand Plover 
(42. mongolica) is found in comparative abundance during the 
south-west monsoon, and an equal proportion of the relatively 
scarcer Large Sand Plover (4. geoffroyi) remain. Most of 
these, again, are in winter plumage, but a few are in full 
summer dress, and some are halfway towards it. 
I have once or twice seen the Lesser Sand Plover in pairs 
late in May, though I have never found the eggs. The Eastern 
Golden Plover (Charadrius fulvus) for some reason does not 
appear to loiter much, though Mr. Parker seems to have 
discovered traces of birds laying eggs in Ceylon.* 
It is also interesting to note that there have been sporadic 
instances where migrants which do not usually loiter have 
nested in the Island. There seem to be fairly authentic 
records of such nesting on the part of the White Stork? and 
the Shoveller Duck.t 
* Legge: ‘“‘ Birds of Ceylon,’ p. 1222; and “Stray Feathers,’ 
Vol. IX., p. 482. 
7 ‘‘ Stray Feathers,”’ Vol. [X., p. 485. 
t Legge: ‘‘ Birds of Ceylon,”’ p. 1088. 

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