PAKRID^E. 217 



rufous, passing into white on the lower breast ; abdomen and 

 under tail-coverts white : edge of wing whitish ; wing-lining and 

 axillaries black. 



Terminal half of bill black, basal half red, changing to yellowish 

 brown at the gape ; irides dark brown ; legs, feet, and claws 

 black (Oates) ; legs and feet neutral brown or plumbeous brown 

 (Legge). 



Length 6'5 ; tail 2'1 ; wing 5-75; tarsus *8 ; bill from gape '75. 



Distribution. Resident in suitable places throughout the plains 

 of India, Ceylon, and Burma as far west as the Indus. Found in 

 Kashmir, but not observed elsewhere in the Himalayas. Unknown 

 outside our area. 



Habits, <$fc. This Pratincole also is mainly confined to the larger 

 rivers, the beds of which it frequents in large flocks. It is the 

 commonest Indian species, and has nearly the same habits as 

 G. orientalis. It breeds generally in company with Terns, on 

 sandbanks in rivers, in the months of March, April, and May. 

 The eggs are two to four in number, stone-coloured, pale greenish 

 grey or buff, sparingly speckled with brown and pale lilac. They 

 differ greatly in colour from those of G. orientalis. The average 

 measurement is I'Oo by '82. 



Family PAKRID.E. 



Schizorhinal ; nostrils pervious, and situated some distance from 

 the base of the bill, but nearer to it than to the tip ; basiptery- 

 goid processes present ; cervical vertebrae 16. A spur or tubercle 

 on the carpal joint of the wing. Four toes, all greatly lengthened, 

 and with very long and straight claws, that of the hallux or hind 

 toe especially long. According to Gradow, despite the long hallux, 

 the deep plantar tendons are of the same type as in three-toed 

 birds, the two tendons uniting and the united tendon dividing 

 into three to supply the three anterior toes, besides sending off a 

 short branch to the hallux (Bronn's Klass. u. Ordu. vi, 4, p. 224). 

 The eggs are exceedingly glossy, uniformly olive in HydropTiasianus, 

 peculiarly marked all over in other genera with a confused tangle 

 of black lines. 



The Ja9anas (properly the c is soft and the accent is on the 

 last syllable) are a tropical family of marsh birds distinguished by 

 their enormously long toes, which enable them to run over the 

 floating leaves of water-lilies and similar plants. Two genera are 

 Indian. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. A frontal lappet ; primaries not produced 



at the end METOPJDIUS, p. 218. 



b. No frontal lappet; ends of 1st and 4th 



primaries produced and attenuated . . HYDRGPHASIANUS, p. 219. 



