82 BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Common Stilt breeds in enormous numbers in Upper India. One 

 of its great stations is at a large salt-works not far from Delhi. The birds 

 are here seen in small parties throughout the year; but about the middle 

 of April they congregate in great numbers for breeding-purposes. The 

 works are composed of many acres of shallow evaporating- pools, mere 

 depressions dug in the ground and lined with fine lime; these small 

 pools are divided by narrow strips of land, varying from a foot to six feet 

 broad, and on the margins of these, or even in those pools which contain 

 little water, the Stilts make their nests. They collect the small pieces of 

 lime with which the pools are lined, making a round platform from seven 

 to twelve inches in diameter and two or three inches in height ; this little 

 platform is then covered with a little dry grass, on which the birds deposit 

 their eggs. They usually lay four eggs, but sometimes only two or three. 

 The first eggs are laid about the end of April or early in May ; but most 

 of them are laid in June. Many of the nests are close together ; and 

 Hume records that on one strip of land, about three feet wide and a hundred 

 feet long, there were thirty-eight nests, besides five nests of the Red- 

 wattled Lapwing. At these works the birds are exceedingly tame, and 

 allow the workmen to pass within a few inches whilst sitting on their 

 eggs. 



The eggs of the Common Stilt are pale huffish brown in ground-colour, 

 spotted, blotched, and streaked with blackish brown, and with underlying 

 markings of inky grey ; some have the ground-colour much richer than 

 others, and the character of the markings is subject to considerable 

 variety. Some eggs are boldly and clearly blotched, a few of the larger 

 blotches being connected by irregular streaks ; others are blotched, but 

 the colour is paler and the blotches are not so clearly defined. Most of 

 the markings are on the surface, and on some specimens pale and dark 

 brown blotches and spots occur. The eggs are pyriform in shape, and 

 vary in length from 1'85 to 1*5 inch, and in breadth from 1'32 to I'l inch. 

 They are not easily confused with the eggs of any other British species, 

 but only differ in size from those of the Avocet. Only one brood appears 

 to be reared in the year. 



The fully adult male Common Stilt in breeding- plum age has the man tie, 

 scapulars, wings, and upper and under wing-coverts black, glossed with 

 green on the upper parts ; the upper tail-coverts and tail are pearly grey ; 

 and all the rest of the plumage is pure white. Bill black ; legs and feet 

 pale crimson ; claws black ; irides crimson. The female is slightly duller 

 in colour than the male, and always has some dull black feathers on the 

 hind head and nape *. In the perfectly adult male there is no difference 



* Dresser describes the adult female as having a brown back, and adds that Naumann 

 appears to him to be in error in describing it as black. Messrs. Gates, Legge, and 

 Saunders all agree with me that Naumann is right. 



