4G 



GLAREOLA. PRATINCOLE. 



The birds of this genus, all of small size, and remarkable 

 for their very long and pointed wings, forked tail, and slender 

 feet, have puzzled the systematist to such a degree that some 

 have placed them among the Rasores, others among the 

 Plovers, and a few among the Swallows. M. Temminck 

 refers them to his order Alectorides, consisting of the genera 

 Psophia, Dicholophus, Gypogeramis, Glareola, Palamedea, 

 and Chauna. The small hind toe often present in the order 

 of Cursores has been productive of much confusion, — those 

 persons who take some artificial, often insignificant character, 

 as a string on which to run their genera, having separated 

 the three-toed from the four-toed Grallatores, the Plovers 

 from the Lapwings, for example, and the Glareolse from the 

 Cursorii. The present genus, I think, must take its place 

 next to Cursorius. But to determine its affinities it would 

 be necessary to examine its digestive organs, which I have 

 not had an opportunity of doing. The body is rather full, 

 ovate, compact ; the neck short ; the head rather small, 

 ovato-oblong, and little elevated in front. 



Bill short, moderately stout, somewhat arcuate, wider 

 than high at the base, compressed toward the end; upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line straight for a short space, then 

 arcuato-decurvate, the nasal sinus wide and feathered, the 

 ridge narrow, the edges sharp and inflected toward the end, 

 without notch, the tip rather acute ; lower mandible with 

 the angle of moderate width, the dorsal line slightly decurved, 

 the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute ; the gape-line 

 arched, and commencing beneath the eyes, so that the mouth 

 is wide, and in no respect resembles that of the Plovers. 



