my last notes on the avifauna of sind. 189 



3rd Section. 



In regard to species recently observed breeding in the Eastern 



Narra. 



In conclusion, a short account of a breeding ground in the 

 E. Narra, which Mr. Doig and I visited this year (1878), 

 may not be out of place. 



The following is a list of the birds that were then breeding : — 

 Ardea cinerea, A. purpurea, Herodias alba, H. intermedia, H. 

 garzetta, Buphus coromandus, Ardeola grayii, Nyctiardea nycti- 

 corax, Anastomus oscitans, Ibis melanocephalus , Phalacrocorax 

 fuscicollis, P. melanognathus, Plotus melanogaster. 



The spot selected consisted of a dense thicket of Tamarisk 

 trees (Tamarix indica) extending over several acres of ground 

 in the middle of a large dhund, which in the hot weather 

 becomes dry, but where in the monsoon season the water rises 

 to a height of some four or five feet, and for miles the jungle 

 becomes partly submerged. 



On the 24th July we left home at day-break, and after riding 

 three miles along a bund we got into a boat and rowed another 

 three miles to the edge of the thicket. We then took off our 

 clothes and descended into the water (about five feet deep) ac- 

 companied by two coolies carrying egg boxes and an old fisher- 

 man (whom from his amphibious disposition we subsequently 

 christened " Aquaticus ") to climb the trees. 



Everything being ready, we proceeded towards the spot 

 where the birds were breeding, which was in the middle of the 

 thicket further on, and to arrive at which we had to force our 

 way with considerable difficulty through dense jungle for some 

 200 or 300 yards. At length we reached the place, and a more 

 imposing sight I never witnessed. 



Herons, Egrets, Cormorants, Snake Birds, &c, breeding in 

 hundreds, in fact I believe I may almost say in thousands, with- 

 out exaggerating, and nests as thick as in a rookery in every 

 direction. 



As soon as the birds caught sight of us, they began to rise 

 with the most deafening clamour, and no sooner were they off 

 their nests than down swooped a colony of crows and com- 

 menced helping themselves to the eggs in the most liberal 

 manner. At first we did not know what to do to get rid of 

 them. We dared not make a noise, as of course that would 

 have frightened the other birds also, and we were almost in a 

 state of despair, when the happy thought struck us to arm 

 ourselves with a few handfuls of the commoner kinds of eggs 

 that we did not care about, and use them as missiles. This 



25 



