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Mr. Aubyn Trevor-Battye



stuck up on end. A pair but a few yards in front of me must have

seen me—for their eyes are sharp enough—but they only looked up

now and then, occupying themselves in splashing and in moving

their bills about in the water. I do not remember counting the

number of Cranes at that jhil, there were doubtless many more in

the distance that I could not see, but perhaps there were ten pairs

within sight at once. They were all quiet for quite a long time.

Then one of my pair suddenly opened its wings and lowering its

head made a feint at its partner. Then it began dancing about her,

and the other Cranes in different places began doing the same thing.

About a hundred yards away on my left there was a wide open space

among the reeds. One of the distant pairs got up and flew to this

spot. Then mine left, and then other pairs. They went off to this

playing ground and there they all went mad. I was not near enough

to see the details of the performance, from where I was sitting it was

all a confusion of waving wings and most extraordinary noises.


Few birds are more beautiful than the Ja§anas. There are two,

the Bronze-winged Ja<jan4 ( Metopidius indicus) and the Pheasant¬

tailed Jagana ( Hydrophasianus cliirurgus) . I have only seen the latter

in Ceylon. (I am afraid I always used to call the birds Jacanas—a

dreadful mistake, for the hook shows the accent on the last syllable

and a sedilla under the c.) They have, as everyone knows, very long

toes and long claws ; the claw on the hind toe is relatively as long as

the hind claw of the Lark, but is bent the other way. Not only

can they run over water-lily leaves (the Moorhen can do that

much) but just as the reindeer by pressing the moss together under

its wide and hollow hooves, pass over soft bog that would engulf a

cow, so the Jacanas can walk where the water seems to be clear ;

their speed of foot being sufficient to support them on the weed-

mass that is just hidden below the surface.


The first bird noticed in the family of the “ Plovers,” is the

Bed-wattled Lapwing ( Sarcogrammus indicus ). Wherever one goes

and there is damp ground, one sees one or more of these gay-decked

birds ; the bright colour of the wattle, the black and white of the

head and neck, and even the yellow legs make the bird very con¬

spicuous. The Yellow 7 -wattled Lapwing ( Sarciophorus malabaricus)

frequents drier ground and is not so often seen, though I saw it



