166 THE GAME BIEDS AND WILD FOWL 



Habits. The habits of the Sociable Lapwing during its summer sojourn 

 on the steppes of Central Asia are imperfectly known ; but of the bird's life- 

 history during its winter residence in India we are fortunately much better 

 acquainted, thanks to the observations of Hume, Butler, Irby and others. It is 

 said to be a dweller on the sand plains, especially common in Oudh and Kuniaon, 

 and is always observed in parties or large flocks. Hume states that in Scinde its 

 favourite haunts are waste uplands near to cultivated districts, and that it keeps 

 together in flocks of from twenty to a hundred. It is by no means a shy bird, 

 but very fearless until repeatedly fired at. On the ground, Irby remarks that it 

 looks very similar to a Golden Plover, but on the wing it resembles more closely 

 allied birds, and flies near to the ground, unlike the typical Plovers. Colonel 

 E. A. Butler says that it frequents open sandy and grass maidans and bare or 

 uncultivated ground. Its food is said to be of an insectivorous nature grass- 

 hoppers, locusts, spiders, beetles and larvae. Its note is described as a peculiar 

 cry, which is not uttered frequently. 



Nidification. Of the habits of the Sociable Lapwing during the nesting 

 season nothing whatever is known. It is said to frequent the steppes and plains 

 for breeding purposes, but its nest has never been described. All that is known 

 respecting its eggs is contained in Dresser's Birds of Europe. That naturalist 

 writes : " A single egg sent to me by Mr. Moschler, who informs me that it was 

 obtained by his Sarepta collector, with the birds, closely resembles eggs of the 

 Common Lapwing (Vanellus cristatus), but is, if anything, rather paler in ground- 

 colour, and a trifle more sparingly marked with spots and blotches." 



Diagnostic characters Vanellus, with no crest, with the greater wing 

 coverts white, with brown bases, and with the tail coverts white. Length, 12 

 inches. 



