Birds of the Jheluin District. 101 



Chakvval on October 23, and a party of seven or eight were 

 found on a sandy island on the river above Jhelum on 

 January 25. The stomachs of- the two birds shot contained 

 grasshoppers. 



Glareola lactea. The Small Indian Pratincole. 

 683. 20.4.1913. Jhelum. Wing 163 mm. 



690. 22.4.1913. „ „ 157 mm. 



691. 24.4.1913. „ In down. 

 809.11.8.1913. „ c? imm. Wing 142 mm. 

 863. 15.9.1913. „ S- Wing? 



A most extraordinarily abundant summer visitor to the 

 Jhelum valley, arriving about the end of February (a single 

 bird being noted on the 27th) and disappearing by the 

 second week in October (last seen on the 10th). It breeds in 

 April on the sand-banks of the river or amongst the stones 

 on the mud-flats that border some of the larger islands. 

 Immense numbers of nests, indeed whole colonies at a time, 

 are swept away when the river is swollen by rain-water or 

 melted snow, and this seems to be the only check to their 

 increasing beyond all bounds, for they have no enemies that 

 I know of. 



Every evening from June onwards a steady flight of 

 Pratincoles up the river, individuals and flocks, took place, 

 and I presume that they must work down again during the 

 night, as I never observed the return flight. The large 

 eyes suggest that they are nocturnal to some extent. On 

 August 11 I saw five or six large flocks flying at so great 

 a height that 1 was unable to identify them through glasses 

 until they descended to lower levels. 



[Iris dark brown; feet and bill black, gape scarlet. 



809 is just finishing a complete moult, and appears to 

 have traces of juvenile plumage remaining. It diff"ers from 

 the adult spi'ing birds in having the whole throat ticked 

 with dark brown, and in having pale rufous edges to the 

 head and faint greyish edges to the mantle-feathers. 863 

 is also finishing a complete moult and is an adult ; it diff'ers 

 from 809 in having the pale edges of the upper parts and 



