124 Contrihttions to the Ornithology of India, ^"c. 



we found a flock of at least forty (Edicnemus. In a pond we killed 

 a small crake^ undoubtedly niinuta, Pall.^ of Europe^ now for the 

 first time^ I believe, recorded from India_, and several common 

 water hens. 



^th. — Yisited a large dund or jlieel, surrounded by tamarisk 

 busheSj at Dost Allee.>«t "We observed numbers of large Baptors, 

 Aquila imperialis, and naevia, Milvtos major, several chocolate 

 brown Buteo's, an osprey, marsh harriers, Speitdaetus Bonellii, and 

 Haliastur indns ; waders, flamingoes, herons, Ardea cinerea, and 

 purpurea, H. alba, and garzetta, Ardeola Grayii,Nyctiardeanyctico- 

 rax, Limosa agocephala in great numbers, of which I shot 16 at 

 one shot, T. ochrophis and fuscus, Falcinellus ignetis, in huge 

 flocks, and Numenius lineatus. Of ducks there were mallard, 

 common teal, shovellers, gadwall, Aythya nyroca, Caligula rnfina, 

 pintail, the ruddy shelldrake. Then of gulls and terns, Larus 

 argentatus, ridibundiis, Sylochelidon caspiiis, Gelochelidon niloticus, 

 Seena aurantia. Every where perched on dry grass stems, far 

 into the centre of the lake, were Pratincola leucura, continually 

 darting down to the water, and seizing insects on the dry lotus 

 leaves and on the water itself. Scudding along over the surface 

 with tiny hurried flights, tripping along on the dry lotus leaves 

 and stems, swimming from stem to stem, was Vorzana minuta, 

 Pall., in considerable numbers. Kydrophanamis chirnrgns in 

 winter plumage. In amongst the roots of tamarisk bushes, 

 standing in swamps amongst clumps of tiger grass, I shot with 

 great difficulty a bird answering well to Jerdon's description, of 

 Platyura schoenicola ; the bill is not however at all deep, and the 

 length is 6"4 ; with these exceptions, the description and measure- 

 ments, fairly correspond. The bird is, however, clearly Cetti^s 

 warbler. Acrocephalus hnmescens, all three king-fishers, innumer- 

 able coots, and water-hens, all apparently chloropus. Of mynahs, 

 Acridotherus tristis seems very rare ; ginginianus very abundant. 



We also shot two Querqtiedula angustirostris and plenty of 

 common and jack snipe. 



'dth. — To the same dund again. The only birds new that we 

 saw were the little bittern, Ardetta minnta, the bittern, Podicejjs 

 minor, Lobivanellus goensis, Laticilla JBwrnesi, and Centrojnis ruji- 

 pennis. , I secured more of Getti^s warbler, and such a difficult bird 

 to shoot I never met with. It never flies : it never comes out to the 

 light of day, but only creeps about the roots of tamarisk and 

 tiger grass where these stand thick and dense, in swamp and 

 water. We killed 14 of the marbled ducks, numbers of teal, 

 mallard, gadwall, Aythya ferina, FuUgula cristafa, and riifina, 

 A. nyroca, Larus argentatus, Pratincola leucura, and one Sylocheli- 

 don. casjnus. Also a magnificent flamingo (P. antiquornm,) 



