81 
I have had the eggs of Plovers brought to me in numbers. Dr. 
Jerdon says, “I found the eggs of this bird on one occasion on a 
grass plain on the west coast in the month of September ; they were 
of a light salmon colour with dusky spots, four in number, and laid 
on a slight depression of the ground.” This Lapwing utters a 
plaintive cry when on the wing; it feeds on small beetles, white 
ants, &c., picking up small pieces of stone or crystal to assist the 
action of the gizzard. 
VaNneELLUs Goensis (Lath.). Rep Wattiep Lapwine. 
This common Lapwing is as partial to water as the last-mentioned 
is to dry sandy plains; indeed I do not recollect ever to have seen it 
at any distance from water. It is very common in the Deccan, and 
may be easily recognized by its oft-repeated cry of —* Dick did you 
do it—Dick, Dick did you do zt.” As soon as March has well set in 
they pair, and the female commences laying ; she generally chooses 
the banks of rivers and small streams. On a sand-bank in the midst 
of the river Bheema, one of the large rivers of the Deccan, I fell in 
with the nest of this bird—if a small heap of dry gravel with a hollow 
in it can be called a nest—it contained foureggs. During the breed- 
ing season these birds, vociferous at all times, become doubly so, 
acquainting every one with the fact that their nest is near. I have 
had their eggs brought to me as late as 19th May. On the 27th 
May a man brought me three young ones, apparently just released 
from their imprisonment; their plumage was as follows :—Irides 
dark hazel ; wattles dark brown, nearly black; the whole body covered 
with down, that on the head and neck brown with spots of black ; 
the front of the neck, breast and belly white; a black streak runs 
along the sides from the wing to the tail; on the nape of the neck 
there was a black patch, and another cravat-shaped patch of black 
on the fore part of the neck and throat; legs and feet dark lead 
colour. 
This Lapwing, like many of the Sandpipers, has a curious fashion 
of elevating and throwing forward the head, much like the motion 
of bowing. It is equally active by night as by day, filling the air 
with its taunting ery of “ Did you do it.’ If you should fire at and 
miss one of them, he goes off with, and his companions fly round 
you with the insulting ery of ‘ Did you do it;” or, as Dr. Jerdon 
has it, “ Pity to do it.” The food of this bird consists of grass and 
small insects; it also picks up small pieces of crystal to help di- 
gestion. The egg varies much in size; one sent measures 1,8, in. 
in length, by rather more than 1,%; in. in width, of a yellow stone 
colour, spotted and dashed with grey and dark sepia. The egg 
marked 28 is of this bird. 
Genus G@ipicnemus (Cuy.). 
CEDICNEMUS CREPITANS. THICK-KNEED PLOVER. 
This bird is tolerably common amongst the stony hills and undu- 
lating grounds of the Deccan. It is more active by night than by 
