HYDROPHASIANTJS. 359 



" They lay from the middle of June to August. The nest (placed 

 in any pond, jheel, or swamp, just as often on the outskirts of some 

 village or small town as in amongst fields or jungle) is often amass 

 of weeds and rushes heaped together in the water in the midst of 

 the thickest grass and rice, and so low that the eggs are half- 

 immersed in water. Occasionally the nests are amongst the grass of 

 somo little island, and then they are much slighter. At times, even 

 when constructed in the water, they are so small as hardly to be 

 able to contain the eggs little, shallow, circular cups of rush and 

 water-weed, on floating lotus-leaves or tufts of water-grass. Dr. 

 Jerdon tells us they lay from four to seven eggs ; they may in 

 Southern India, but I do not believe it, and in Northern India they 

 do not. Out of hundreds of nests that I have seen, I only once 

 found one containing even five eggs. Four is the almost invariable 

 number, laid point to point. The apical angle is too great to allow 

 of six or seven being thus laid. You might as well try to get seven 

 right angles into the centre of a circle. 



" The eggs of this species really seem to indicate that it is not so 

 closely allied to the Eails and Parridce as is generally supposed. 

 How very different are the eggs of its nearest apparent Indian ally, 

 Metopidius indicus, with which we have just dealt, and which lays, 

 "Water-hen like, from eight to ten moderately broad oval eggs, a 

 good deal pointed towards one end, but still manifestly intended 

 to lay anyhow in the nest, and not point to point like a Plover's or a 

 Eedshank's. 



" If If. chii'ur;/us and J/. indicus are so very nearly allied as all 

 systematists seem to consider them, is it not extraordinary 

 that their eggs should differ so absolutely in shape, texture, 

 colour, markings, number, and manner of disposition in the 

 nest, and that the former should have a distinct winter plumage 

 while the latter has none ? The two skeletons require careful 

 comparison. I should be inclined to suspect that these two species 

 are derived from very different stocks, although a similarity of ex- 

 tornal conditions may have led to a similar superficial modification 

 of external forms." 



From Saugor Mr. F. E. Blewitt writes : " This Jacana breeds 

 here from the middle of June to August. I found two nests 

 one a floating one, made of grass and weeds, the other on a small 

 island similarly made. The nests were more than a foot in diameter. 

 I am not certain as to the maximum number of eggs. The largest 

 number I found was four. Breadth, 1-12. In colour they are of 

 a fine greenish bronze throughout." 



Colonel G-. F. L. Marshall remarks : " I have taken eggs of this 

 species in Bolundshahr and Cawnpore in July, on the 30th in the 

 former, and on the 8th, 16th, and 27th in the latter. The bird 

 comes in with the rains ; the nest is made in water, about two feet 

 deep, by collecting together a few of the floating weeds, and a few 

 more pulled up by the roots, making a slight sunken platform just 

 sufficient to float the eggs which are deposited on them ; there is 

 no attempt at concealment, and the eggs, which are of a deep bronze 

 colour, are visible from the bank." 



