23 
1921 .] Birds of North-East Chihli , 
the neighbourhood of this reach, I saw an Ibis-Bill feeding- 
in the shallows a couple of hundred yards from me, which 
my man identified as the kind of bird to which the eggs he 
had brought me belonged. This one flew oft' at long range, 
and my collector told me the birds were extremely wild 
during the nesting-season. In winter they are more easily 
approached, and at that season they are to be found among 
the mountains. Owing to its protective colouring this bird 
is hardly visible against a background of water and shingle. 
The flight is low, not rapid, and reminds one of that of 
certain Sandpipers. My collector subsequently brought me 
two more eggs taken on the 22nd of May following ; in 1916. 
a clutch of four were taken on the 9th of April, and subse¬ 
quently a clutch of four were taken by him in the same 
locality on the 14th of April, 1918; these last were sent 
to the British Museum without being measured. He also 
shot on the 20th of September, 1915, a bird of the year in 
immature dress. The bill of this bird was dark red, the 
legs pale pinkisli-mauve. 
The eggs taken on the 23rd of April and 22nd May, 
1915, and 9th April, 1916, bear a general resemblance to 
those figured by Mr. Dresser (Ibis, 1907, pi. vi.), but are 
perhaps rather greener. The ground-colour is, when fresh, 
of a greyish-green, which turns somewhat red after a time. 
The spots are reddish-brown and reddish-purple. The 
addled egg found on the 2nd of May is greyer and the 
markings, which are large, are faint-—possibly washed out. 
It is of a somewhat broad-ovate, while the other eggs are of 
a truer ovate. These nine eggs measure as follows : — 
23 April, 1915, two eggs 1’99 x 1*50, 2*06 x 1‘48 inch. 
2 May, ,, one egg D88x 1*50 inch. 
22 „ „ two eggs 1-88 X T42 „ 
9 April, 1916, four „ 1*97 X 1*47 „ 
1- 97x 1-49 „ 
2- 07x1*42 „ 
2*05x1*45 „ 
