A LAKE IN OODEYPORE. 97 



No other bird of prey was seen on the lake, no Osprey, 

 no Peregrine, no Spotted Eagle. 



About the water Hirunclo rustica, II. fluvicola and Cypselus 

 affirm abounded. Ceryle rudis hovered over the water, ever and 

 anon making sudden plunges, and Halcyon smyrnensis sat 

 sulkily here and there, perched indeed on stakes planted in, or 

 mud walls overlooking, the water, but clearly considering this 

 no concern of his. Motacilla maderaspatana, Budytes /lava and 

 cinereocapilla trotted about at the waters' edge, to which 

 Sparrows, a few Blue Pigeons, common Mynahs (A. tristis) 

 and Starlings came down to drink. In one place, on some 

 trees overhanging the water, was a flock of the Indian Rose- 

 headed Paroquet (P. purpureus), and in the bushes around 

 them I shot a pair of Gray's Sirkeer (Taccocua sirlcee, vide 

 S. F., V, 219) and saw 7 several Indian Finch Larks {Pyrvhulauda 

 grisea.) 



A short distance inland, of course, there were many other 

 species of laud birds, but these were all I saw actually over 

 the lake or by its margins. 



Of shore birds there were but few. A single Snipe (G. scolo- 

 pacina) was observed leisurely walking about the bare bank, in 

 broad daylight, and poached without law, under the impression 

 that lie was something else, no one expecting to find a real Snipe 

 in such a situation. 'Iringa mi/iuta y Lobivanellus indicus, Hi- 

 mantopus candidus, A otitis glareola, Machetes pugnax, and a few 

 Limosa aegocephala standing about in the shallow water were 

 all we secured, and I believe all that were to be seen. Of waders, 

 the Coromandel Shell-eater, numerous Herons, grey, white and 

 purple, the Little Egret, and the Pond Heron were all that were 

 to be found. There were no Hails, though on a patch some 

 acres in extent of floating Avater w eeds, the Indian Jacana 

 (Parra indica) and the Water Pheasant (H. chirurgus) were 

 abundant. We saw no Water Hens, but on the lake myriads 

 of Coots brooded in dusky clouds, to rise with a surging roar 

 like that of the waves en a shingly beach, at the first gun shot. 



Indeed the whole lake, except towards its margin, was as 

 remarkable for the enormous number of Water Fowl it har- 

 boured, as were its shores for the paucity of other birds. 



There are no boats on the lake. The only one available 

 being one specially brought out for our delectation by H. H. 

 the Maharajah, who had come out to meet and receive us. The 

 consequence was that the Water Fowl were absolutely unmo- 

 lested except when they ventured within 50 yards of the shore, 

 •which, I think, few but Teal and Shovellers ever did. 



Conspicuous, in enormous pinky-white legions, were the 

 common Flamingo, of which there were many, many, thousands, 



13 



