GRALLATORES. 223 



over the ground, much after the manner of the true Pewits, 

 and when flushed generally flies off" in a straight line. I have 

 never seen it mount in the air like the Common Lapwing, or 

 perform during flight those sudden turns and dips so fre- 

 quently exhibited by that species. So far as 1 have observed, 

 it goes in pairs, or at most in companies of three. Nearly 

 full-grown young were obtained in the month of November, 

 from which we may infer that it is a very early breeder. 



The eggs are three or four in number, and are deposited 

 on the bare ground without any nest ; they are one inch and 

 a half long by one inch and an eighth broad ; ground-colour 

 light oKve-grey, very thickly blotched and stained with brown, 

 so as nearly to cover the surface, particularly at the larger 

 end. 



The sexes are alike in colour, but the female has the lobe 

 before the eye much smaller than in the male. 



Crown of the head, line running from the angle of the 

 mouth beneath the eye, and down the sides of the neck, and 

 a broad crescent-shaped band across the breast jet-black; 

 line from the eye to near the occiput, chin, throat, flanks, 

 abdomen, upper and under tail-coverts white; back light 

 brown; primaries brownish black; wing-coverts bronzy 

 brown, passing into black towards the tip of each feather, 

 and tipped with white ; a few of the outer secondaries white, 

 margined on the extremities of their outer webs with black, 

 then a few entirely white, and the last two marked like the 

 coverts, but largely margined with white; scapularies and 

 lower part of the back bronzy brown ; rump dark olive, with 

 bronzy reflexions ; tail white, crossed near the tip by a broad 

 irregular band of black; tip of the upper mandible horn- 

 coloiu"; the^remainder of the bill beautiful primrose-yellow ; 

 naked parts of the thigh and knees dark pink ; tarsi and toes 

 blackish brown, the latter inclining to pink-red ; irides yellow, 

 surrounded by a rim of deep primrose extending in an oblique 

 direction to the fleshy protuberance at the base of the upper 



