Contrihidions to the Ornithology of India, S)-c. 137 



Zeptoptihs argala is common enoug-lij, where there is water^ in 

 among-st the sand-hills of Rooree. Geronticus papillosus not 

 uncommon. The widgeon is very common in the Mnnchtir^ 

 hut neither Day^ nor myself^ nor Watson have ever seen it in 

 any of the innumerable dunds of the Shikarpour Collectorate, 

 Both the grey lag and Indian goose are pretty plentiful about 

 the lake^ mostly seen feeding in the wheat fields which every- 

 where run down close to the water. 



Ki^tli. — Came across the lake to Boobuck^ seeing nothing new 

 except an enormous flock of Limosa (egocephala, out of which 

 nearly two dozen fell to a single shot. On the Boobuck side, 

 hemp (for bhung) wheat, fennel, carrots, &c., were growing* 

 in the inundation ground, in luxuriance. The one village of 

 Boobuck, (containing about six or seven hundred inhabitants) 

 pays a lakh of Rupees land revenue. Near Boobuck, we shot an 

 Aguila fulvescens ofi" its nest, containing two eggs. Ospreys and 

 the white tailed sea eagle are common. I saw L.goensis, CheUu-sia 

 gregaria, G.flavipes, Savigny/^^x^czwa, Licht.,) and Yanellus crista- 

 ttis. Numbers of A.oscitans and Falcinellus igneus. On an old wall 

 at Boobuck, we saw a P. cyaniis ; curiously enough, P. pallida 

 was common all about the shores of the lake. Starlings in vast 

 numbers, several Cichloides atrogidaris ; H. chirurgws, very com- 

 mon ; stilts, all the terns, and gulls. 



Riding in 10 miles to Sehwan, we saw Sylvia delicatula in the 

 tamarisk bushes, and at Sehwan itself, we again came across 

 Palceornis torquattis, which we have not seen for long*. The bun- 

 g'alow at Sehwan is built on the high earthen platform of an old 

 fort said to date from the time of Alexander, and certainly 

 numerous Grecian and Bactrian coins are found about it from 

 time to time. .About this place, for the first time in Sindh, I 

 saw a large flock of C. ajjinis, Gr., our common Indian swift 



'6\st. — Came from Sehwan to the Indus, about five miles. En 

 route saw a fine osprey, numbers of H, rustica, and several 8. 

 delicatula; and at 11| a.m., started by boat for Kotree. In the 

 Indus saw two S. caspius sitting in a huge flock of 8. mirantia. 

 A few common herons and bar-fronted geese were the only other 

 birds except three pelicans, (1?. crispus) that we saw during" the 

 rest of the day, in which we made 34 miles. 



\st. — Feirnary. Started ofi" early. For many miles the ' river 

 was absolutely blank, then we came upon a flock of black 

 stork and spoon-bill, and saw a couple of pelicans too far oflp to 

 be quite certain of the species, but by the intense orange of the 

 pouch, I believe them to have been crispus. 



2nd. — Arrived at Kotree about 2-30 p. m. Saw nothing en 

 route but two brahminies, a few herons, and a few Felicanus cris- 



