ESACUS. 205 



The Indian bird is on an average smaller than the European, 

 and has generally a white patch on the third primary ; this patch 

 is usually wanting in skins from Europe, but neither distinction 

 is constant. 



Bill black at the end, yellow at the base ; iricles bright yellow, 

 orbits duller ; legs and feet yellow. 



Length about 16 ; tail 4-25 ; wing 87 (from 8-25 to 9-5) ; 

 tarsus 3 ; bill from gape 2. 



Distribution. Central and Southern Europe, with North Africa, 

 Central and South-western Asia, and throughout India, Ceylon, 

 and Burma in suitable localities ; resident or nearly so. 



Habits, $c. This well-known species is chiefly found on dry 

 stony plains, or undulating ground, bare or with scattered bush or 

 scrub jungle, not as a rule on hills, rarely, if ever, in forest. It is 

 a wary bird, and in many respects resembles a Bustard in its 

 habits, having the same trick of hiding by lying down on the bare 

 ground, when it becomes very difficult to detect. It has a 

 peculiar long wild Curlew-like cry, and is somewhat nocturnal; 

 its food consists of insects, worms, snails, &c. The flesh is said to 

 be excellent. It breeds from February to August in India, chiefly 

 about April, and lavs generally two, sometimes three eggs, pale 

 buff to olive-green in colour, blotched with black, sometimes with 

 purplish clouds and spots. The average size of Indian eggs is 

 1-9 by 1-39. There is no nest. 



Genus ESACUS, Lesson, 1831. 



This genus is distinguished from (Edicnemus by its very large 

 and massive compressed bill, much longer than the head, and 

 measuring from the gape nearly twice the length of the middle toe 

 without claw. In other respects the two genera are similar, but 

 whilst (Edicnemus is a bird of dry open stony country, Esacus haunts 

 the margins of rivers and the sea. 



Only two species are known, both found within our area. By' 

 many ornithologists they are placed in distinct genera, on account of 

 the shape of the bill differing ; but as there is no other distinction, 

 I agree with Hume ($. F. v, p. 121) in regarding generic separa- 

 tion as unnecessary. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Oulmen almost straight ; 6th primary brown, 



basal portion of inner web white E. recurvirostris, p. 205. 



b. Culmen curved, convex ; 6th primary white, 



except a brown spot on outer web near tip . . JE. magnirostris, p. 207. 



1419. Esacus recurvirostris. The Great Stone-Plover. 



(Edicneinus recurvirostris, Cuv. Eer/ne An. 2e ed. i, p. 500 (1829). 

 Esacus recurvirostris, Lesson, Traite, p. 547 : Bliith, Cat. p. 260 ; 



Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 652; Hume, S. F. i,' p. 232; id. X. S> E. 



p. 579 ; id. S. F. iii. p. 182 ; Blyth $ Wald. Birds Burm. p. 152 ; 



