071 the Birds of Sontli-eastern China. 359 



months. It frequents the marshes and the lotus ponds^ and 

 is much more shy than is the case in Great Britain. 



Nests were found on August 1 and on September 15. 

 The former contained five very hard-set eggs^ and the latter 

 one, which was quite fresh, and there can he no doubt that 

 this species is double-brooded. The nests were well con- 

 cealed amongst dense reeds in both cases. 



GaLLICREX CINEREA. 



The Watercock was a fairly common summer visitor, and 

 was first seen on April 19, and last on October 23. They 

 vary in numbers in different years, but at the end of April 

 and the beginning of May are sometimes exceedingly 

 abundant. 



The earliest date for eggs is June 20, and as late as 

 September 2 a young bird only recently hatched and 

 covered with jet-black down was found in a paddy-field and 

 near a nest. 



Some of the nests found were very crude affairs, and some 

 were built up as much as eighteen inches, and were quite 

 well made of green rushes and paddy-straw, or of the latter 

 alone. 



FULICA ATRA. 



During the winter months large numbers of Coots are to 

 be found at Wang Mun, where they prefer brackish water, 

 and, indeed, are sometimes found actually at sea. 



Coots were often seen perched on the top of the heaps of 

 paddy-straw which came floating down the broadway at 

 Wang Mun, and the stomachs of those shot contained many 

 shells of raollusca. They were fii*st seen on November 29, 

 and last noticed on April 4. 



Grus grus. 



The only occasion on which Cranes were observed was at 

 How'lik, January 10, on a thick and misty morning, when 

 a solitary specimen was observed flying low down in con- 

 sequence of the fog. 



SER. X. VOL. I. 2 c 



