186 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY 
This species, like the last, is, I believe, only a seasonal visitant 
to the plains; however I can’t quite m: lke out how the young 
bird I got at Kashghar in December came to be there at that 
time. . This Plover arrives towards the end of March and migra- 
tes about September; it was common in the neighbourhood of 
Yarkand in summer, and was foundin the Karakash Valley at 
an elevation of about 12,000 feet towards the end of August. 
It was usually seen in small flocks, feeding on insects, in the 
vicinity of swampy ground. The bird breeds in M: ay, laying, 
I was informed, three or four eggs, on the bare ground at some 
distance from water. This species is called by the Yarkandis 
Shaiarak Chullok. 
851.—Vanellus cristatus, Meyer. 
@. Yarkand, 9th April.—Length, 12:6; expanse, 29:1; 
wing, 9°2 ; tail, 3: Jig ene, 2-0; bill, from gape, 1°25; closed 
wings fall short of “tail, 0:25 weight, 8:4 oz. Bill and claws, 
black ; irides, dark brown; legs and feet, dull red. 
Juv. Yarkand, 2nd June. '—Leneth, 9: 2’; ; expanse, 2°3; wing, 
S:o, tail,’ 2°6 tarsus, 1*7; bill, “from gape, 1-0; closed wings 
fall short of tail, O55 ‘weight, 3°3.0z. Bill and claws, black ; 
legs and feet, purplish black ; irides, dark brown. 
“The Lapwing was exceedingly common in the plains, from 
March to December, but was not observed in January or 
February. It fr equented marshy ground and the vicinity of 
streams, generally in flocks. It breeds in April and May ; 
and I noticed in the beginning of June that these birds often 
circled round and round over one piece of grass, uttering their 
plaintive cry and evidently solicitous about their young. 
Four appears to be the full complement of eggs for this spe- 
cies; a clutch was obtained on the 22nd April rand another on 
the 23rd, both in the marshy ground south of the City of Yar- 
kand: the egos were much incubated. The eggs are in shape 
broadish ovals, compressed at one end; they ‘have no gloss. 
The ground color is pale greenish olive, i in some buffy or café 
au lait ; abundantly spotted. blotched and smeared, especially 
towards the large end with purplish inky or brownish black ; 
some fainter secondary blotches are seen here and there. The 
eggs vary from 1°79 to 1°87 in length, and from 1:29 to 1°36 in 
breadth ; the average of eight eggs is 1°84 in length by 1°31 
in breadth. 
The Turki name for the Peewit is Cheman (c.f. Chaman, 
Persian—walking haughtily). 
871.—Gallinago scolopacinus, Bonap. 
3. Yarkand, 3rd July.—Length, 11:2; expanse, 17; wing, 
1; tail, 2°7; tarsus,‘1°3; bill, from gape, 2°63; closed wings 
