ioo THE CASPIAN AREA 



recognised by Its crest of black-tipped white feathers, and conspicuous ruff. The 

 general colour of its plumage is, however, adapted for a life in the desert, and even 

 beyond its breeding-area this bird is only to be found on dry sandy plains. Shy 

 and difficult to approach, this bustard when alarmed in the desert squats on the 

 ground beneath a bush or behind a stone, but when sheltered by covert stands up 

 to survey its pursuers. It feeds principally on plants, but also eats beetles, and 

 even during winter keeps chiefly in pairs, although occasionally congregating in 

 small flocks such as sometimes stray westward into Germany and send out 

 stragglers still farther west. 



Another bird of the Kirghiz steppe and the deserts of central 



Asiatic Dotterel. . 



Asia is the Asiatic dotterel (JEgialitis asiatica), which has occasion- 

 ally been caught in Heligoland and has strayed into England. In this dotterel, 

 which is 7 inches in length, the colour of the upper-parts is light greyish 

 brown ; the quills are dark brown, the primaries having white shafts, while the 

 forehead, cheeks, and under-parts are white. There is a broad black-edged chest- 

 nut band across the neck, which turns light rusty grey in winter, when the white 

 feathers on various parts of its body lose their pure tint. In winter this bird 

 visits India and Cape Colony where it has been observed to feed chiefly on beetles 

 and other small insects. 



Marsh Green- The marsh-greenshank (Totanus stagnatilis), which frequents 



shank. £ ne swampy shores of slowly running rivers, where it is found more 



commonly during its spring migration in April and May than on its autumn 



migration in August, breeds in the area extending more or less round the 



Caspian. On migration it visits India, Australia, and South Africa. It is not 



rare in Hungary, where it breeds in some parts ; in Germany it appears only in a 



few places, and it has strayed into the British Isles. In character and habits it 



resembles the common greenshank, although the beak is more slender, the leg 



longer, and the size much less, the length being only a little over 9 inches. The 



upper tail-coverts are white with black bars, and the tail-feathers white with 



brown speckles on the outer web. 



. „ , The bramini duck (Tadorna casarca) is a common breeding-bird 



Bramini Duck. . x . ' ° 



in Bulgaria, and on many lakes in southern Russia, especially in the 

 Dobrudscha, but rarely visits Germany and Switzerland. Its principal breeding- 

 area, however, is in the countries round the Caspian, the Sea of Aral, and the waters 

 of central Asia. In autumn it migrates to southern Asia, Asia Minor, and the 

 Mediterranean countries as far west as Morocco. This duck often nests at a long 

 distance from the water, the nest being placed in burrows, especially those of the 

 bobac or marmot, or in holes made by the bird itself, in hollows of trees, among 

 stones, or in natural crevices on the shore. When the nest is far from water the 

 young either walk there, or are carried by the duck in her beak, one after the other. 

 When in a tree or other elevated position, the ducklings drop down without hurting 

 themselves, either on to the water or the ground. The drake, which is 25 inches 

 in length, has the general colour rusty brown, and the head pale buff; on 

 the neck is a narrow black ring ; the wing-coverts are white, and the primaries, 

 as well as the tail, beak, and feet, black. The female has no ring round 

 the neck. 



