BLACK-WINGED STILT. 309 



was in the shallow water at least six feet from land, another 

 was among some two or three reeds which grew in the water. 

 The nests were built of small reeds, and were from two to 

 four inches high — about six inches in diameter at the top, 

 increasing to eight at the base — the slight hollow contain- 

 ing the eggs being lined with finer reeds. Six nests had 

 four eggs each, one nest had one egg, and one or two were 

 empty. All the nests were within a space of one hundred 

 yards. A thick belt of reeds bordered the lake (which was 

 separated from the Black Sea by a narrow ridge of sand), 

 leaving a few feet of black stinking mud between them and 

 the water ; it was on this bare space that the nests were 

 placed : one clutch of eggs was considerably incubated, the 

 others were nearly fresh." 



Mr. Hume relates a similar habit as observed at some 

 salt works about five-and-thirty miles south of Delhi, where 

 the Black-winged Stilt breeds in hundreds, and forms its 

 nest of small pieces of the broken lime lining of the salt- 

 pans, collected into a circular platform from five to seven 

 inches in diameter, and from two to three in height, on the 

 top of which a little dry grass is placed (Ibis, 1870, p. 146). 



The adult male has the beak black ; the irides red ; the 

 whole of the head, the neck all round, the breast, and under 

 parts white, with an evanescent rosy tint ; tail-feathers 

 greyish-white ; a few dusky streaks behind the eyes and on 

 the occiput ; the back and wings nearly black, tinged with 

 green ; the legs and toes pink. 



The length of the body is about thirteen inches. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, eight inches ; the first 

 quill-feather the longest. 



In the females the back is brownish, and not tinged with 

 green. 



Young birds have the feathers of the back and wings 

 brown, edged with white, and more dark feathers about the 

 back of the head ; the legs orange. 



In the nestling the down of the upper parts is buffish- 

 grey, mottled with black ; the under parts dull white. 



