212 On the Birds of the Goona District. [No. 4, 



though not in abundance. In marching westward from Goona to 

 Rajpootana, I was much struck by the change in the common species 

 of Saxicoline birds. The two Pratincoles just mentioned continue 

 numerous as far west as Kotah and Boondee, but there they begin 

 to be replaced by Saxicola leucoroides, a bird I never saw near Goona. 

 Towards Deolee S. deserti begins to appear, and in Marwar, both this 

 species and P. leucoroides are as common as the two Pratincolas, com- 

 mon at Goona, are scarce ; and a still more western species, namely 

 P. leucomela, is found in small numbers. 



The occurrence of the common Starling so far south as Goona, 

 has not often been noted. It is by no means common there, unless 

 indeed flocks arrive subsequently to December. In January last, 

 I saw near A j mere large numbers both of this species and of Pastor 

 roseus, and both are numerous in Marwar. I observed only a single 

 flock of *P. roseus near Goona. It contained a number of young 

 birds, and arrived early in September, but remained only a few days. 

 Rain crops (which ripen in the early part of the cold weather) are by 

 no means largely cultivated in the district, and I fancy this bird 

 chiefly frequents districts where, as in Marwar, a great extent of land 

 is laid down in these cereals. 



The rasorial group is represented by only 10 species, and of these 

 the only one very common is the Peafowl, which being sacred, is pro- 

 tected and even fed, and consequently lives much about villages. 

 The scarcity of other species is no doubt owing to the small amount 

 of cultivation, and the number of carnivorous mammals abounding in 

 these wild regions. 



Of Grallatores there are 36 species. The two lapwings, the red 

 and yellow-wattled, are very, and about equally, common. To the 

 westward, the latter gradually disappears, and in Rajpootana it is re- 

 placed by Chettusia gregaria. 



Twenty- two species of Natatores occur in the district. As 

 rule, ducks and geese are but winter visitants in India. Two, how- 

 ever, remain in the tanks near Goona all the year round. These 

 are that pretty little goose Nettapus Goromandelianus (the cotton 

 teal of sportsmen), and the whistling teal, Dendrocygna aiosaree. 

 I have no doubt these two species breed, but I never succeeded 

 in finding their nests. The rainy season was introduced 



