142 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, SfC. 



my utmost. Here I saw a few grebes, and several P. crispns, 

 and had one skin of the former, and two of the latter given me. 

 Saw also several skins of Cichloides atrogularis and one of the 

 sanderling. We killed a couple of Hemprich's g-nlls, four of 

 T. cristatiis, and saw numbers of the small rosy-breasted gulls, 

 without the dark ear-spot. This is numerically the most common 

 sea bird all along the coast here. Cormorants in numbers, 

 Larus horealis common, T. cantiacus, and a few great black-headed 

 gulls. 



I'fML — In the bay killed eight of HempricVs gull, and three 

 in different stages of the great black-headed g'ull. These are 

 very large, running to 28j in length to 68 in expanse, and to 

 nearly four lbs. in weight. On shore we got Cichloides atrogu- 

 laris, S. picafa, ^gialitis curonicus, Besck f.'' philippinus Lath.) 

 and Galerita cristata. We saw and chased a Podiceps crisfatus. 

 One of our party also got another L. ichthyaetus in full breeding 

 plumage, and numerous other gulls of species already noticed. 



\^th. — 'Killed eight grebes, five cristatus (two in winter plum- 

 age, two changing to the breeding plumage, and the last with 

 the head bright rufous); and three nigricoUis. We also secured 

 four pelicans (cmj52«^) magnificent birds, in breeding plumage, 

 a reef, and a common heron, and some more black-headed gulls. 



Any one who likes may laugh, but to me a grebe chase at 

 sea is first-rate sport. At Gwader there are two fine bays, one 

 in front and one behind the town, which is built on a broad spit 

 of sand connecting the main land, with an huge rocky headland, 

 that at the distance of a few miles, appears from the sea to be 

 an island. In both bays numbers of grebes, both the common 

 crested and the black-necked, are seen dotted about. You get 

 a light native canoe, just holding two rowers besides yourself, 

 a rather crank concern, but which if you are only steady, rises 

 over the swells like a duck. Picking out your particular grebe, 

 you give chase, kneeling low in the front of the boat. To-day 

 there was no wind, and the surface was unrippled, but there was 

 a long delicious swell, rocking one slowly and tenderly, altogether 

 charming, but slightly interfering with the sport for which a 

 dead calm is best. When you get within 100 yards of your 

 bird, he begins, if you go straight at him, to swim away al- 

 most as fast as you can pull, and if you gain on him, he dives ; 

 but if you direct 'your course so as to pass by him at about 60 

 yards, he will often, if he has not previously been fired at, allow 

 you a snap-shot at that distance j I say a snap-shot because he 

 is watching you all the time, and you must fire the instant you 

 raise your gun, or you have no chance. The second grebe I 

 killed to-day, I rolled over dead, the first shot, when passing by 



