ANDALUSIAN HEMIPODE. 45 



GaUinarum aut Grallarum. His notice of our Pratincole 

 will be given with the account of that bird. 



Of the genus Hemipodius, South Africa produces two 

 species ; Madagascar one ; India two ; Sumatra and the 

 Philippine Islands two; but Mr. Gould has shown me 

 seven or eight species brought from Australia, which are 

 figured in his beautiful work on the Birds of that country. 

 So much new light has Mr. Gould thrown on the Natural 

 History of this interesting group, that I venture, with 

 permission, to abstract a portion of the details supplied 

 with the species figured under the name of the Fast-flying 

 Hemipode. 



" I found this new and interesting species of Hemipodius 

 abundant in various parts of New South Wales, but whether 

 it has always visited those localities, or has recently made 

 its appearance there, I cannot say. Mr. Stephen Coxen, on 

 whose estate it was plentiful, and who, it was well known, 

 has for some years paid considerable attention to the Or- 

 nithology of Australia, could give me no information re- 

 specting it ; and it would appear to have escaped the notice 

 of collectors generally, for I have never seen a specimen in 

 any collection either public or private. I clearly ascer- 

 tained that it is strictly migratory, by finding it abundant 

 in those places in summer which I had previously visited 

 in winter, when no appearance of one was to be seen. 



" The season of more than usual luxuriance that followed 

 the long and distressing drought of 1838-39, bringing in 

 its train a number of rare and interesting species, was 

 highly advantageous to the objects of my expedition. It 

 was to this season of plenty, when the whole face of the 

 country was covered with the richest vegetation, that I am 

 inclined to attribute the appearance of vast numbers of this 

 species over the district of the whole Upper Hunter, par- 

 ticularly in the flats of Segenho, Invermein, and Yarrundi. 



