36 HABITS AND HAUNTS OF BIRDS 
only been known to breed in the Deccan among tufts of grass on cotton 
soil. The houbara and the true bustards (Otis) are only found in the 
arid plains of the extreme north-west. All the bustards lay dark-coloured 
handsomely marked eggs. 
Plovers, (Cursorius, Rhinoptilus, Glareola, Squatarola, Charadrius, 
(Fgialites, Vanellus, Chettusia, Lobivanellus, Sarciophorus, Hoplopterus, 
Esacus, Edicnemus, Strepsilas, Dromas, Hamatopus).—Plovers are more 
or less gregarious and widely spread in India. They frequent open 
country, avoiding forests entirely as a rule, and feeding on the ground in 
ploughed or fallow fields. The grey plover (Sguatarola helvetica), the 
golden plover (Charadrius longipes), all the ringed plovers (Hgialites)» 
except @. curonicus, the crested lapwing (Vanellus cristatus), the true 
lapwings (Chettusia), and the oyster catcher (Hematopus ostralegus), 
are migratory and only visit this country in the cold season. The 
remainder are either known or believed to breed in India. The courier 
plovers (Cursorius), the wattled lapwings (Lobivanellus, Sarciophorus), 
and the stone plover ((dicnemus) breed in fields or plains away from 
water. Of the breeding of the genus Rhinoptilus nothing is known, but 
they frequent scanty jungle on rocky hills. The swallow plovers( Glareola), 
the ringed plovers ((M@gialites), the spur-winged plovers (Hoplopterus), 
and the great stone plover (Hsacus) lay their eggs on the bare sand 
in the beds of great rivers. While the turnstone (S¢repsi/as interpres) 
and the crab plover (Dromas ardeola) lay on the sand on the sea-coast. 
The eggs of all plovers are dark-coloured and richly marked. 
Cranes, (Grus, Anthropoides).—The only crane that permanently 
resides in India is the sarus (Grus antigone). It feeds in open plains 
and fields, but breeds on islands in swamps among rushes. All the other 
cranes are migratory visiting India in the winter in large flocks, The eggs 
are spotted or blotched. 
Snipe, (Scalopar, Gallinago, Rhynchea).—The painted snipe 
(R. bengalensis) is the only permanent resident. It is somewhat local 
and affects thick weeds in marshy places. The woodeock (8. rusticola) 
visits the lower Himalayas in the winter, also the hilly portions 
of the south of India. A few pairs at least breed in the alpine 
Himalayas. The true snipe (G@allinago) are all migratory coming 
in the cold weather. A few of the common snipe may breed in the north- 
west Himalayas, but, as a rule, all the snipe go beyond Indian limits 
to breed. The eggs are handsomely marked. 
