THE CRUDEST NEST FORMS 75 



Black-winged Stilt have been recorded from the salt 

 works near Delhi, in Upper India. These nests 

 consisted of little platforms made of pieces of lime, 

 raised about three inches high and from seven to 

 twelve inches across. Upon these platforms a slight 

 bed of dry grass was strewn, on which the eggs were 

 laid. The Woodcock's nest, again, is a trifle more 

 elaborate than usual, as is also that of the Jacanas 

 (Parridae), possibly in the latter case due to the 

 aquatic haunts of those birds; whilst the nest of 

 the Crab Plover (Dromadidae) is said to be placed in 

 burrows, in sand-hills. Of the annexing habits of 

 the Green Sandpiper, and occasionally of the Wood 

 Sandpiper, mention has already been made in our 

 previous chapter {conf. p. 50). Some of the nests 

 of the Cranes (Gruiformes) are equally crude {conf. 

 p. 153). 



Another crude nest form is made by the Divers 

 (Colymbidse). Some nests of these birds (there are less 

 than half a dozen species) are much better made than 

 others, according to the nature of the ground upon 

 which they may chance to be placed. Thus when 

 these crude nests are made upon dry, bare ground 

 they are mere hollows, sparsely lined with dry grass 

 and other fragments of vegetation ; w^hen they are 

 situated amongst grass and other herbage in marshes 

 they are much larger, but the architectural qualities 

 are still crude, the materials — rotten sedges, rushes, 

 reeds, dry grass, and so on — being heaped together 



