244 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



The bird is there portrayed with the primaries brown, whereas 

 they should be black ; the white of the throat is also much 

 less defined in the bird than it is in the drawing ; this mark, 

 which is so conspicuous in the other members of the genus, 

 being scarcely distinguishable in the present species from the 

 surroundino; reddish-buff colourins; of the head and neck. 



While traversing the plains bordering the river Namoi, in 

 New South Wales, I once had a transient view of this 

 interesting bird ; it was on the wing, and so rapid and 

 extended was its flight, and so close did it keep to the 

 ground, that I had scarcely satisfied myself as to what kind 

 of bird it was, before it was lost in the distant horizon. I 

 possess, however, two specimens, both of which were collected 

 in the Moreton Bay district, the eastern portion of the con- 

 tinent of Australia, therefore, may be regarded as one of the 

 localities in which it is found, but which, from its rare 

 occurrence therein, can scarcely be considered its natural 

 habitat : in all probability the vast interior of the country is 

 its native home. 



We may reasonably suppose that nature has destined this 

 bird to the same offices in Australia that are performed by the 

 Glareola pratincola in Europe, that insects of various kinds 

 constitute its principal food, and that they are taken both in 

 the air and on the ground, as the great development of its 

 wings and legs must give it peculiar facility for capturing them 

 in both situations ; future discovery, however, must determine 

 this among numerous other points now unknown respecting 

 the economy of the birds of that comparatively unknown 

 country, Australia. 



The male has the head, all the upper surface, wings, and 

 breast light rufous, becoming nearly white on the throat; 

 lores dark brown ; primaries and under surface of the wing 

 black ; shaft of the outer primary white for three-fourths of 

 its length from the base ; abdomen rich chestnut ; thighs, 

 upper and under tail-coverts white ; central tail-feathers black, 



