206 (EDICNEMJD.E. 



Butler, S. F iv, p. 14; v, p. 232; vii, p. 186 ; ix, pp. 299, 427 ; 

 Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 458 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 227 ; Cripps, 

 ibid. p. 301; Hume, Cat. no. 858; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 974; 

 Reid, S. F. x, p. 67 ; Davidson, ibid. p. 319 ; Gates, B. B. ii, 

 p. 357 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 336 ; Salvadori, Ann. Mm. Civ. 

 Gen. (2) iv, p. 46 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 316 ; Oates in Hume's 

 N. # E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 335 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 20. 

 Carvanaca grisea, Hodgson, J. A. S. B. v, p. 776 (1836). 



Barra karwanak, H. ; Abi of Falconers ; Gang titai (Ganges lapwing), 

 Bengal ; Mien-zain, Burmese. 



Coloration. Upper plumage light ash? brown with darker shaft- 

 lines ; supercilia, orbits, forehead, lores, and a stripe on each side 

 from them to the throat white ; above the white supercilium is 

 a blackish stripe joined by a dark line running in front of the orbit 

 and then beneath it to a broad black band including the ear-coverts ; 

 a dark stripe from below the gape ; smaller wing-coverts like the 

 back, this colour limited by a blackish-brown band, followed by a 

 narrow whitish one ; median and greater coverts pearly grey ; 



Fig. 45. Head of E. recurvirostris. %. 



primary-coverts blackish brown ; edge of wing white ; quills chiefly 

 blackish, the first three primaries crossed more or less completely 

 by a white band, 6th primary with basal half of inner web white ; 

 later primaries white at base and tip ; tail-feathers like back, 

 all except middle pair blackish near the tip with a subterminal 

 white band ; lower parts white ; fore neck and upper breast 

 tinged isabelline ; under tail-coverts tinged rufous. 



Base of bill and nostrils yellow, remainder of bill black ; irides 

 yellow ; legs plumbeous white {Oates) legs and feet pale yellowish 

 green (Legge). 



Length 20 ; tail 4'5 ; wing 10'5 ; tarsus 3'25 ; bill from gape 3'4. 



Distribution. Plains of India, Ceylon, and Burma, on the banks 

 of the larger rivers : resident. Found in Sind and the Punjab, 

 but not known farther west. 



Habits, fyc. This bird is usually solitary or in pairs, and is 

 seldom seen, in India or Burma, away from the sandy, stony, or 

 rocky banks of rivers. In Ceylon, according to Legge, it frequently 

 h aunts the sea-shore. It feeds on Crustacea, mollusks, and occa- 

 sionally insects. It is partially nocturnal, and has a loud harsh 

 croaking note. It lays two eggs between February and May in 

 river-beds, on the sand or amongst stones ; the eggs are stone- 



