376 birds' nesting on the " eastern narka," 



The nests were slic^ht hollows scraped in the ground, and were 

 generally situated close to where the soil had been rooted up 

 by wild pigs, or in the centre, or by the side of a lump of dried 

 cow dung ; this latter was the favorite situation. The greatest 

 number of eggs in any nest was three. This seemed to be the 

 normal number, but some contained only two, and one had a 

 single egg and one young one just hatched. I shot several 

 specimens which I have preserved and sent* to Mr. Hume for 

 identification along with their eggs. As one or two of the 

 specimens appear to me to be undoubted orientalis, I have 

 entered this note against both, as I conclude that both must 

 have been breeding in company. I also found Cursorius coro- 

 mandeliciis and Lobivanellus indicus breeding in the same place. 

 These birds have a most peculiar habit of lying stretched on 

 the ground with their wings spread out; they not only did this 

 while I was visible searching for their eggs, but when I had 

 disappeared and lay hid in the dense jungle I saw them through 

 my glasses going through the same antics. As far as I could 

 judge it was done when any other birds approached the nest 

 or young, and was evidently a sign of anger. Two birds which 

 1 shot while thus extended were both males. The ground 

 colour of the eggs is a light dirty green in some, in others a 

 drab, covered all over with dark purple blotches denser in some 

 than in others and sometimes forming a zone at the broader 

 end ; some are in shape broad ovals, others nearly spherical ; they 

 vary in length from 1*1 to 1'35, and from "80 to 1-05 in width, 

 the average of 52 eggs being 1*26 in length and '95 in width. 



(7.) 932.— Ardetta flavicoUis. 



In January last Captain Butler in Upper Sind, and I in these 

 districts, both about the same time, thought we saw this bird. 

 On the 4th May, however, I shot a pair and saw some dozen 

 more ; since then I have found them in three different places 

 very numerous. Once the sun is well up, they are seldom seen 

 unless actually beaten out of the dense tamarisk and reed jun- 

 gle in which they lie hid. My plan was to go out some time 

 before day-break, and paddle up in ray canoe into the middle 

 of the swamp and hide in some bunch of rushes and wait till 

 day-light. As day began to dawn birds of various kinds began 

 to appear returning from the scenes of their night's dissipation ; 

 some came along in flocks making a great noise, apparently 

 quite satisfied with their night's work ; others came flitting 

 silently along the tops of the reeds, as if they were very much 

 ashamed of themselves for being out so late. Among the latter 

 were A. sinensis, A. minuia, and A. flavicoUis. 



* XJnfortunatelj they have nut jet come to hand. — A. O. H. 



