BIRDS OF THE LAKES, STREAMS, AND SWAMPS 
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“Quick” uttered in a slightly metallic tone, and it also has another low 
note like “Kr-root.” Food: insects of various kinds and seeds. 
Nest. — A depression in the ground. 
Eggs. — Usually three, rich cream or buff, sparingly sprinkled all over 
with irregular spots and some elongated crooked markings of chocolate- 
black with a few minute dots and dashes of a lighter tint. When the bird 
has occasion to leave the nest it covers the eggs with debris. Breeding- 
season: April, May, August, September, and October. 
12. Lotus-bird Irediparra gallinacea Temminck 
I-red-i-parr'-a — Tom Iredale, ornithologist, Australian Museum, Sydney — 
L., parra, kind of bird : gal-lxn-a -ce-a — L., gallinaceus, like a fowl. 
Distribution. — Northern Australia (coastal), from Derby (north- 
western Australia) to the Hawkesbury River (New South Wales) ; also 
occurs in Borneo, Celebes to New Guinea. 
Notes. — Also called Comb-crested Jacana, Comb-crested Parra, Lily 
Trotter, and Christ-bird. Usually in pairs or small flocks of five or six, 
frequenting swamps, lagoons, and streams, chiefly those covered with 
aquatic vegetation. It is generally observed running or skipping over the 
broad leaves of the waterlilies and similar plants. Habitually shy and 
wary. When disturbed, it utters a shrill trumpet-like alarm note and 
flies to another part of the swamp or stream. Its flight is weak and 
laboured, its long legs being held out horizontally to their full extent. 
Food : aquatic animals and plants. 
Nest . — A flat structure, composed of sedge, grass, and aquatic plants, 
and built upon bunches of weeds or grass growing in the water. It is 
generally placed near the edge of a swamp or stream, and is so flat that 
the eggs are almost level with the surface of the water, sometimes partly 
under water when the bird sits on the nest. 
Eggs. — Four, pale brown, pale yellowish-brown, or brownish-red, 
covered with well-defined black lines, criss-crossing the surface in all 
directions. The surface is smooth, appearing as if varnished or highly 
polished. Breeding-season: September to January. 
13. Australian Snipe Gallinago hardwicki Gray 
Gal-lln-a-go — L., gallinago, feminine form from gallus, a game-bird: 
hardwicki — General Hardwicke, associated with J. E. Gray in Indian 
Zoology, died 1835. 
Distribution. — Japan, migrating southwards to eastern and southern 
Australia, and Tasmania; accidental to New Zealand. 
Notes. — Also called Common Snipe, Japanese Snipe, Jack Snipe, 
Latham's Snipe, Long-bill, and Bleater. Usually in flocks, arriving in 
Australia during September, departing in March or April. It frequents 
river-flats, swamps, and marshes, and is a timid and wary species. Sports- 
men give it first place among game-birds, and although plentiful within 
settled districts, very little is known of its habits while in Australia. 
Food : insects and worms. 
