“ 
(Ciconta nigra), the night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), the spoonbill (FPlatalae 
leucorodia), and the curlew (Nwmenius arquatus), together with lesser waders, such 
as red shanks, sandpipers, turnstones, sanderlings, stints, and sand plovers*, 
congregate in little flocks, or disperse in pairs over the sandy flats of the large 
rivers, along the shores of ponds and lakes, or even upon the cultivated fields 
of the plains. The black stork (Ciconia nigra) is found along the rivers. It 
builds its nest on crags of high precipitous cliffs. 
On the waters of the lakes and marshes the cormorant (Phalacrocorax 
carbo), the coot (Fulica atra), the moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), the great crested 
grebe (Fodiceps cornutus), the little grebe (Colymbus ruficollis), disport throughout 
the summer, building their nests in the rushes, where skulks the water-rail 
(Rallus indicus) . 
Snipe are very common and many a good bag can be made in the rice- 
fields and reed-beds. There are two species of snipe in North China, the little 
jacksnipe (Limnocryptes gallinula), and the pin-tailed snipe (Gallinago stenura). The 
latter is frequently found along the banks of streams in mountainous districts. 
One must not forget to mention the common crane (Grus grus) which 
passes north or south during the spring and autumn respectively in immense 
flocks containing from twenty to two hundred birds. They are usually very 
shy, and the hunter finds great difficulty in approaching them, but as they 
get further north they seem to lose their fear of man and can easily be 
brought down with a shot gun. The demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo) may 
also be seen occasionally. 
In the boulder strewn valleys of the high mountains may be heard the 
plaintive cry of the remarkable ibis-billed curlew (/bidorhynchus strutherst), as it flits 
along the stream beds, while the pretty little ringed plover (4gialitis alexandrinus) 
deposits its clutch of eggs amongst the pebbles that they so exactly resemble. 
The crested plover (Vanellus vanellus) and the grey-headed plover (Micro- 
sareops cinereus) may be seen during the spring and autumn. 
The Chinese ibis (Nipponia nippon) builds its nest in the large trees that 
grow on the margins of the rice-fields, seeking sustenance for itself and young 
in the muddy waters of the latter. Its chief food is a large water-snail, 
together with mussels, frogs and aquatic insects. 
Before drawing to a close, it will be well to mention various other families 
represented throughout the mountains, plains, hills and valleys of the 
provinces by not more than one or two species. 
Here, where the mountain stream plunges into deep defile, or stays to 
* The species to which these belong I have as yet been unable to determine, 
107 
