72 
Some ViDijah River Birds. 
N.W. Provinces, but in the northern Punjab is chielly notice- 
able on the Spring Migration. For instance this year at 
Jhelum from the end of April till the 1st week in July I saw 
immense numbers on the river, and it is remarkable that 
nearly all were seen Hying up stream, i.e., towards Kash- 
mere; but whether this was a steady processioii of birds 
passing upward without intermission, or whether I saw the 
same or many birds day after day and it was by a mere coin- 
cidence that I always saw them flying up stream, are (questions 
that I cannot answer. Another curious thing is that up to 
date (November) there have been no signs of the return 
migration except a couple of odd birds in September. Do they 
return by another route? or is the return migration (contrary io 
what one would expect) quicker than the Spring, and has it 
passed on some occasion when I have been in camp? The 
same Spring migration was noticeable at PhiUaur, in April 
and May. 
The most difficult nest to find on the sands is that of 
the Ijittle Ringed Plover, Aeyialitis dubia (Scop.); the first 
intima^tion that one receives of being at the breeding quar- 
ters of a pair of these birds is that they may be seen run- 
ning rapidly on the sand, or flying swiftly about a few feet 
from the ground, giving vent to a piping whistle; but to 
know that one is in the neighbourhood of a nest is a very 
different matter from finding that nest, since the bird is fi'om 
its size and colour very difficult to see on the ground at a 
distance, and watching from near at hand is useless, foi- the 
bird is most suspicious during the breeding season. With 
luck one may hit on a track that leads one to the nest, but 
as a rule tracking merely brings one to an area which is 
covered with footmarks, without a sign of the eggs; the 
bird is a most indefatigable pedestrian I And to add to the 
confusion the bird frequently starts leigning wouiidcil and then 
one doesn't know whether to look for eggs lying in a hollow 
qtogother, or young birds scattered and crouching Hat on the 
sand; the only certain thing is that it is useless to follow the 
decoy I 
The Little Ring Plover is smaller than the Kentish 
Plover (the only other bird of the kind likely to bt; met 
here) and is easily distinguished from it by the fact that there 
is an unbroken black band across the breast ; the black markings 
