60 ELEMENTS OF ORNITHOLOGY. 
There are but two species, and they live in Kerguelen Island, 
the Crozettes, and extreme South America, feeding on sea-weed, 
eggs, and small shell-fish. A Bird called the Pratincole(Glareola 
pratincola) inhabits the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, 
Africa, and Asia, and occasionally visits England. It frequents 
the open country (marshes and sandy plains) or the sea-shore, 
feeding on insects, and giving out a most peculiar rattling 
Fig. 61. 

The Stone-curlew (Edicnemus crepitans). 
sound. It has long, pointed wings, a forked tail, and short 
legs, and has been a great puzzle to Naturalists as to where it 
should be placed in their systems. It flies about a great deal 
with something of the motion of a Swallow, which perhaps 
accounts for Linnzeus having classed it with that Bird. Unlike 
the Swallow, however, it runs very well on the ground and even 
wades into pools. It is the type of a genus which consists 
