RALLID.E. 



spondee! closely with those of our Plovers, frequenting sandy 

 plains, flying and running Avith great rapidity ; forming a 

 slight nest in any accidental depression in the dry soil, and 

 laying four eggs. One example of this bird's egg was given 

 to the Society ; and this zealous young ornithologist had seen 

 others, which were all alike. The egg measures one inch 

 two lines in length, by eleven lines and a half in breadth ; 

 it is of a pale bufi^y stone-colour, marked with small round 

 spots of bluish grey and dull black. This egg immediately 

 reminds the observer, who is acquainted with the eggs of our 

 birds, of those of the Ring Plovers, by its colours and mark- 

 ings. The Pratincole has been arranged by some authors 

 with the Swallows, by others near the Rails : but I believe, 

 with Mr. Selby, that it ought to be included in the family 

 of the Plovers ; and had I known its plover-like habits and 

 eggs sooner, I should have arranged it between Cursorius 

 and Charadrius. 



The egg of the Pratincole is so great a rarity, that I have 

 endeavoured to give a representation of it, by which it may 

 be known. 



The bird is rare in Holland, but is occasionally seen in 

 Germany, France, Provence, Switzerland, and Italy; it is 

 more plentiful in Dalmatia, and other eastern parts of Eu- 

 rope. M. Temminck mentions that it breeds in Sardinia, 

 and has been seen at Malta. It is said to inhabit Senegal ; 

 and I have seen specimens from Tangiers and Tripoli. This 

 species has also been observed at Cairo, Smyrna, Trebizond ; 

 and in the country about the Caucasus it was seen by M. 

 Menetries in considerable flocks : the birds squatted close to 

 the ground, with outstretched wings, and allowed a near ap- 

 proach. The Pratincole is also found in Tartary, but is said 

 not to go farther north in that direction than latitude 53°. 



The beak is curved, and almost black, and Mr. Bullock 

 says, that whilst living, the edges of both mandibles, and the 



