GLABEOLA PRATINCOLA 289 



of the Empire I have a very dark coloured specimen, darker even 

 than most European examples. 



In its habits, as well as in its note, food, and nidification, this 

 desert form does not differ from (E. oBdicnenms. 



Family GLAREOLID^. 



GLAREOLA PRATINCOLA, LinnEsus. 



PRATINCOLE. 



Hirundo pratincola, Lhm. Syst. Nat. i, p. 345 (1766). 



Glareola pratincola, Leach, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 131 (1820) ; 



ShcDpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv, p. 53 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. 



ii, p. 278 (1867) ; Eoenirj, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 266 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 79 ; 



Erlangcr, J. f. 0. 1900, p. 55. 

 Glareola torquata, Malhcrbc, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 19 (1846). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Djerba, South Tunisia. 



Upper plumage dull greyish-brown, the sides of the head and the nape 

 tinged with yellowish ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail, which is 

 much forked, white at the base and black at the tip; primaries blackish; 

 secondaries tipped with white ; chin and throat pale buff ; lores and a narrow 

 stripe passing below the eyes and encircling the throat, black ; breast pale 

 greyish-brown ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries rufous-chestnut. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill black ; the base of the lower and the edge of the 

 upper mandible red ; feet dark brown. 



Total length 10 inches, wing 7-50, culmen '65, tarsus 1-25. 



Adult female similar to the male. 



According to Blanc, the Pratincole is very abundant in North 

 Tunisia in spring, and breeds in the country. The Arabs, he says, 

 bring him large numbers of these birds obtained in the vicinity of the 

 town of Tunis. The species is common on the east coast of the 

 Eegency, near Sousa and Monastir, and is probably to be found 

 more or less abundantly as a summer migrant throughout the coast 

 districts, and also on some of the inland lakes and Sebkas of the 

 country. 



In Algeria and Marocco the species is most plentiful in spring 

 and apparently breeds in both countries. I have specimens of it from 



19 VOL. II. 



