(Ciconia nigra), the night-heron {Nyctkoiax nyctkorax), tht spoonbill {Platalae 

 leucorodia), and the curlew {Nimenius 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 [GaUinula chloropus) , the great crested 

 grebe (Podiceps cornutus), the little grebe (Colymbus ru/icollis), disport throughout 

 the summer, building their nests in the rushes, where skulks the water-rail 

 [Ralius 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 gallinu/a) , a.nd 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 {Ibidorhynchus struthersi), as it flits 

 along the stream beds, while the pretty little ringed plover {y^gialitis alexandrinus) 

 deposits its clutch of eggs amongst the pebbles that they so exactly resemble. 



The crested plover (Vanellus uanellus) and the grey-headed plover (Micro- 

 sarcops 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 



* Tbc species to which these be'-ong I ban u yet been aaable to determine, 



107 



