748 LOBIVANELLUS 



Hcib. Transcaspia, rare in Persia, Eastern Asia to Assam ; 

 Arabia, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan, India, and Ceylon. 



Frequents the steppes near water, the borders of marshes, 

 meadow-land, and river-banks, and though not shy is wary, 

 especially when molested. It feeds on insects of various kinds, 

 seldom on anything else. Its flight is Lapwing-like, but strong 

 and tolerably rapid, and it is a noisy bird, and utters its loud 

 cry both when on the wing and when on the ground. It breeds 

 from March to August, usually in April, and deposits in a 

 depression on the ground its 4 eggs, which are in character like 

 those of a Lapwing, and vary in ground-colour from pale olive- 

 green to ochreous and reddish buff, and are profusely marked 

 with blackish brown or black ; in size they average about 1*64 

 by T2. 



1041. GREY-HEADED LAPWING. 

 LOBIVANELLUS CINEREUS. 



Lobivanellus cinereus (Blyth), J. As. Soc. Beng. xi. p. 587 (1842) ; 

 Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 311 ; (David and Oust.), Ois. Chine, 

 p. 422 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 133 ; (Blanf.), F. Brit. 

 Ind. Birds, iv. p. 228 ; Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gansu, p. 3 ; 

 L. inornatus, Temm. and Schleg. Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 106, pi. 63. 



Kire, Jap. 



$ ad. (Japan). Head, neck, and breast ashy grey, the hind neck and 

 crown tinged with brown ; upper parts brown with a bronzy tinge ; 

 primaries black ; short secondaries and the larger secondary coverts, 

 sides of rump, and upper tail-coverts white ; tail white with a broad black 

 subterminal band, bordered with brown ; the outermost feathers white ; 

 upper breast crossed by a narrow black band ; rest of under parts and 

 under wing-coverts white ; terminal half of bill black, the basal half, 

 lappets, and edge of eyelids, legs and feet yellow ; claws black ; iris red. 

 Calmen 1'5, wing 9*3, tail 4'3, tarsus 2 '92 inch. Sexes alike. In the 

 winter the pectoral band is obscured, and the head and neck are tinged 

 with brown. The young birds have the head and neck brown, the chin 

 white, and lack the pectoral band. 



Hab. Japan, Corea, North China and Mongolia, wintering in 

 Burma and Eastern India, and has occurred as far south as the 

 Andamans. 



In habits it resembles the Lapwing, and like that bird is shy 

 and wary, and when disturbed flies high above the intruder, 

 uttering loud cries. It frequents damp, marshy localities, and 

 feeds on insects. It breeds in April, depositing its 4 eggs in 

 the grass, on the ridges which intersect the paddy fields. The 

 eggs resemble those of V. vulgaris, but are not so pointed. 



