357 



for the last three or four years at least, a pair had selected the bare terrace-roof to breed. 

 They always chose the same spot for their nest — a little heap of lime rubbish about a coaple of 

 feet across ; and in a very slight hollow in the top of this I found two of their eggs, which 

 almost exactly resemble those of their English namesake. This habit is the more strange, as 

 the Kites (Milvus govinda) generally succeed in carrying off their newly hatched young. I 

 ordered the birds not to be disturbed, and watched them with some curiosity ; for I had thought 

 that they always frequented the most lonely and barren places for the purpose of breeding. On 

 July 1st, 1865, I went up the ladder to the top of the court-house, peeped quietly over the 

 parapet, and saw the Lapwing sitting on her two eggs. Gently she slipped off and crept lowly 

 along for two or three yards, when she lifted herself up, and, flying slowly, alighted a little lower, 

 on the next ledge, pretending to think I had not seen her two eggs, exposed as they were on 

 the heap of mortar. On July 3rd, when the heat on the roof was so intense that one could 

 scarcely bear to touch the plaster, the eggs were hatched; but on the 6th, when sitting in court 

 in the afternoon, I heard a tremendous outcry of the parents, and sending to the roof I found 

 that the Kites had swooped down and carried off the chicks. This occurs again and again, and 

 yet the birds persist in laying in the same place. 



" On July 9th, 1866, I happened to go to the roof of my own house, which is flat and 

 terraced like that of the court-house. There I saw four eggs of this Lapwing lying on the 

 smooth plaster in the middle of the terrace. There was no trace of a nest, save a curious line 

 of little bits of plaster, forming an irregular circle six or eight inches in diameter; but the 

 pieces collected were not numerous. My man suggested that they were placed to prevent the 

 eggs rolling about with the wind in the parents' absence ; and this seems to be very likely. 

 These eggs were never hatched, although the parents were most attentive, but were, one by one, 

 carried off by the Crows (Corvus culminatus), which are ever on the look-out for the eggs of 

 other birds." 



According to Mr. Hume, " the eggs of this species are of the typical Plover type — normally 

 broad and obtuse at one end and pointed towards the other. Oval, truncated, and greatly 

 elongated varieties also occur. The ground-colour varies, of course, as in all Plovers — in some a 

 clear pale olive-green, in some a yellow, in others a reddish buff, while occasionally it is almost 

 coffee-coloured. The markings are intensely deep brown or black ; and there are blotches, 

 streaks, spots, and clouds thinly or thickly distributed over the whole surface. The endless 

 variety in the colour of the ground, and the extent, intensity, and character of the markings, 

 renders any more exact description impossible ; but 1 may note that, besides the primary 

 markings, most of the eggs exhibit underlying clouds, spots, and streaks of pale inky purple. 

 The eggs have scarcely any gloss. In length the eggs vary from T45 to T85, and in breadth 

 from 1T3 to 1-3; but the average of sixty-four eggs is T64 nearly by a little over T2." 



The specimens figured are an adult male from Transcaspia, for the loan of which I am 

 indebted to Professor Menzbier, of Moscow, and a young bird in down from the British Museum 

 collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens : — 



3c 



