FOR NORTHERN INDIA 144 



incubating, but hatch the eggs by standing 

 over them, one leg on each side of the nest ! 

 Needless to say there is no truth whatever in 

 this statement. The legs of the sitting sarus 

 crane are folded under it, as are those of in- 

 cubating flamingos and other long-legged birds. 



Throughout the month of August two of 

 the most interesting birds in India are' busy 

 with their nests. They are the pheasant- 

 tailed and the bronze- winged jacana. These 

 birds live, move and have their being on the 

 surface of lotus-covered tanks. Owing to the 

 great length of their toes jacanas are able to 

 run about with ease ove.r the surface of the 

 floating leaves of water-lilies and other aquatic 

 plants, or over tangled masses of rushes and 

 water- weeds. 



In the monsoon many tanks are so com- 

 pletely covered with vegetation that almost 

 the only water visible to a person standing 

 on the bank consists of the numerous drops 

 that have been thrown on to the flat surfaces 

 of the leaves, where they glisten in the sun 

 like pearls. 



Two species of jacana occur in India : 

 the bronze -winged (Motopus indicus) and the 

 pheasant-tailed jacana or the water-pheasant 



