PRATINCOLE 



COLLARED PRATINCOLE AUSTRIAN PRATINCOLE. 

 PLATE CXLVIII FIGURES I. AND II. 



Gla reola pratincola, DRESSER. 



Hirundo pratincola, LINNAEUS. 



THIS very rare visitor to Great Britain breeds chiefly 

 in North Africa, Asia Minor, and the south of Europe 

 wintering in South Africa. 



According to Mr. Seebohm, who is familiar with its habits, 

 "The birds of this species do not make any nest, but lay 

 their eggs upon the bare ground, seldom, if ever, taking the 

 trouble to scratch a hollow or to collect what dry grass or 

 seaweed may be at hand. They seem studiously to avoid 

 coarse grass or rank herbage, and prefer to lay their eggs 

 on the dried mud, sheltered only by the straggling plants of 

 Salsola, which grow all over the lowest and wettest parts of 

 the islands. The number of eggs was usually two, occasionally 

 three, and only in one instance four ; probably the latter 

 clutch was the production of two females." 



The eggs are very oval in form, exceedingly fragile, the 

 ground colour being buff or grey, spotted with streaks and 

 blotches of black or purplish brown. 



