Contrihitions to the OrnHliolocjy of India, Sfc. 113 



noon. Saw several Lankis isabeUinus, one an adult male, with 

 an uumistakeable white speculum. This species is much paler 

 and greyer than cristatua. On the banks, huge grass tufts, 10 

 feet in lieight, the flower stems rising 8 or 10 feet higher, were 

 intermingled with tamarisk and the peeloo, Salvador a perska. 

 Amongst the grass innumerable little flocks of EdriUa amandava 

 flitted restlessly about. Praiincola indica and Otocompsa leuco- 

 iis were as usual abundant every where. The common francolin 

 and the grey partridge were rather numerous, and I came across 

 two parties of what I took to be Chatarrhaa Earlii ; I failed i-f;[ 

 however to secure specimens."^ Biimesia gracilis was specially ' ' 

 abundant. Tiirtur risorius , pretty abundant, and these were the 

 only birds I saw in a three hours" stroll, except numbers of Cofi/le 

 sinensis on the banks which, here sand}^ and some 20 feet in 

 height, are everywhere pierced with then- nest-holes. The river 

 was crowded with huge flocks of white herons of sizes, and spoon- 

 bills, which always congregate in dense double or treble lines, 

 like a regiment in close order ; while the common heron, of which 

 I saw some hundreds, were all dotted about like skirmishers. 

 A strong wind was blowing, so that every bird stood with his 

 head well forward, pointing in exactly the same direction, i. e., 

 in the teeth of the breeze, producing a very curious effect and 

 making them all look still more as if they were under drill. 



Ibth. — Marched about nine miles to Durkan, due west, on the 

 Jacobabad road. The country level, sandy, intersected by irriga- 

 tion channels, covered thickly with high tamarisk bushes, here and 

 there interspersed with huge tufts of grass, and in one or two 

 places varied with a few small flelds. As for birds, a single buz- 

 zard, {Buteo ferox^ a few Corvus impudicus, Hodgs., (no ravens) . 

 Coracias indica, Dendroeitta rufa, Pratincola indica, and Otocompsa 

 leucotis, the two latter in great numbers, Bttrnesia gracilis and 

 Chatarhaa caudata w^ere about all I saw, except one Laticilla Bur- 

 oiesi. These latter birds are very difficult to shoot. They keep very 

 close in amongst the thickest grass, make only the shortest 

 flights, drop instantly into the biggest tufts, and thread their 

 way low down through the stems ; it is next to impossible to 

 flush them twice. 



l&th. — Marched 18 miles to Toj. Country much the same as 

 yesterday, but barer. The low Bhooktee hills, bare stone heaps, 

 showing throughout the march on the right. We saw num- 

 bers of L. isabeUinus, Otocompsa leucotis, and Pratincola indica. 

 Several Buteo ferox, Collyrio latkora, smd vittatics , olim, Hard- 



* As I never again met with this species in Sindh, I must probably have mis- 

 taken caudata for earlii, although this is almost incredible. 



