50 NOTES ON THE NIDIFICATION 



The eggs are undistinguishable in everything but size from 

 those of the Burmese Lapwing. They are quite different from 

 those of G. lactea. The ground color is buff or stone color, and 

 the whole shell is thickly blotched with blackish brown, and 

 underlying smears of paler brown sunk into the shell. Other 

 eggs are so thickly blotched as to appear black when viewed at 

 a short distance off. They are without gloss and Plover-like ; 

 one end of the egg is much pointed.* In size they vary from 

 1'25 to 1*1.2 in length, and from -9b' to *9 in breadth, but the 

 average of a considerable series is 1*18 by *93. (N. and E., 

 p. 568.) 



112.— Esacus recurvirostris, Cuv. (858.) 



Nest on May 1st with two fresh eggs in fallow land. No 

 details appear to be necessary. (N. and E., p. 579.) 



113.— Leptoptilos giganteus, Forst. (915.) 



Along with the Pelicans, breeding in the same trees, were 

 innumerable Adjutants. One can hardly realize the number 

 of these birds that visit Pegu in October, unless, as I have, 

 he has seen the vast armies which settle on the plains on their 

 first arrival. I have stood on a bund where I could see 

 about two miles round me, and the whole area was literally 

 covered with them. Some fifty birds stand huddled together ; 

 then there is a bare space of about 100 feet, and then 

 another group of birds. Their numbers are incredible. They 

 all arrive suddenly in the Pegu plain on the same day, 

 and after resting for about two days, they betake themselves 

 to the forest where I had the pleasure of visiting them. 

 Certainly almost all the Indian Adjutants must come to Pegu 

 to breed. 



On the same day we took the Pelican's eggs, we also paid 

 attention to the Adjutants, but whereas in the case of the 

 Pelicans by climbing one tree you procure almost as many eggs 

 as you care to have ; with the Adjutants it is different. Fre- 

 quently there is only a solitary nest in a tree, rarely two or 

 three, and in this case the tree selected is a stupendous one, 

 with immense branches reaching 50 feet from the trunk and 

 mostly horizontal. These nests are not to be got at even by 



* This is especially noteworthy as showing that, in its eggs, this species diverges 

 widely, not only from G. lactea, but from its extremely closely allied congener, Gla- 

 reola pratincola, Lin. The eggs of the former fully described, N. and E., 568, are 

 not in the least Plover-like but rather Tern-like, and of the latter Mr. Hewitson says 

 of the egg : " In shape and colour thoy bear a much closer resemblance to the eggs 

 of the Black Tern, than to those of any other British bird ; they are not at all like 

 the pointed eggs of the true Waders." By which ho here means to refer to the 

 Plovers, Godwits, Snipes, &c. — A. O. H, 



