52 GLAREOLA PItATINCOLA. 



gentleman's brother, went in search of it. After a short 

 time, it came out of some growing corn, and was catching- 

 insects at the time I fired, and, being wounded only in the 

 wing, we had an opportunity of examining it alive. In the 

 form of its bill, wings, and tail, as well as its mode of flight, 

 it greatly resembles the genus Hirundo ; but, contrary to the 

 whole of this family, the legs were long, and bare above the 

 knee, agreeing with Tringa ; and, like the Sandpipers, it ran 

 with the greatest rapidity when on the ground, or in shallow 

 water, in pursuit of its food, which was wholly of flies, and 

 of which its stomach was full." Four other instances of its 

 occurrence in England are mentioned, and one in the south 

 of Ireland. 



Although nothing less than an inspection of the internal 

 structure of a bird can determine its relations, when its ex- 

 terior presents anomalies or combinations of forms indicative 

 of various affinities, the examination of even a prepared skin, 

 which is all I have of the Pratincole, is capable of affording 

 much information. The bill of this bird, — which is short, 

 stout, arched, opening to beneath the eyes, and broad at the 

 base, compressed towards the end, and with the tips of both 

 mandibles narrow, but rather obtuse, the mouth being at the 

 same time wide, — has no relation, even in the least degree, to 

 that of the Plovers, or any of the other probing birds, of 

 which the bill is typically long, slender, straight, compressed, 

 slightly enlarged toward the end, opening far anterior to the 

 eyes, the mouth being also extremely narrow. It therefore 

 belongs to none of these tribes ; but in the form of its bill 

 approximates to the Bustards, and is Cursitorial or Galli- 

 naceous. The head rather large and flattened above re- 

 sembles that of the Otime, and the large eyes may be theirs 

 as well as of the Plovers. The legs, of moderate length, and 

 slender, resemble those of the Totatinse in form, as do the 

 toes, only the middle toe is proportionally longer ; but they 

 also resemble those of some Otinae and Gallinaceous birds. 

 As to the wings, they differ greatly from those of any Otis, 

 being very elongated, narrow, and pointed, the primaries 

 somewhat incurvate, and resemble those of a Swift or 

 Swallow ; but the secondaries are not few and very short, as 



