412 CLASS XVI. 



Glareola BRTSS. Bill short, curved, compressed at the tip, with 

 gape produced behind the base under the eyes. Nostrils placed at 

 the base of bill. Tarsi covered anteriorly with transverse scutella. 

 Toes short, anterior conjoined at the base by membrane, middle toe 

 much larger than the subequal lateral toes, with claw elongate, 

 acute. Hallux raised. Wings long, pointed, with first quill longest 

 of all. Tail in some forked, in some emarginate. 



Sp. Glareola pratincola LEACH, Hirundo pratincola L., Glareola auslriaca 

 GM., Glareola torquata MEYER, TEMM., BRISS. Ornith. v. PI. 12, fig. i, 

 BUFF. PL enl. 882, NAUM. Taf. 234, the collared pratincole, perdrix de 

 mer, Sandhuhn; this bird lives in Asia, Africa, and the south, especially 

 the south-east, of Europe, on the banks of rivers and great lakes ; the bill 

 fissured as far as below the eyes, recalls the swallows, with which, as also 

 with Sterna, this genus corresponds in the long, pointed wings. This bird 

 feeds on beetles, grasshoppers, &c. Glareola lactea TEMM., PI. color. 399, 

 GUR. Iconogr., Ois. PL 59, fig. i ; on the banks of the Ganges, smaller 

 than the preceding; Glareola grallaria TEMM., from Australia, New 

 Guinea and Borneo, has the bill stronger and longer, and much higher 

 legs than the preceding species, and approaches the following nearly allied 

 genus. 



Cursorius LATH., (Tachydromus ILLIG., a name already given to 

 a genus of reptiles by DAUDIN.) Bill shorter than head, cloven 

 to below the eyes, curved. Nostrils placed in an excavation at the 

 base of bill, lateral, pervious. Feet elongate, cursorial; outer toes 

 joined at the base; tarsi covered anteriorly and posteriorly with 

 transverse scutella. Wings moderate, with first two quills mostly 

 subequal, first quill longest of all. Tail rounded. 



a) With first two quills of icings longest of all. 



Sp. Cursorius isabellinus MEYER, Cursorius europceus LATH., Charadrius 

 gallicus GM., BUFF. PL enl. 795 ; North Africa, sometimes, but rarely, 

 seen in Europe; Cursorius coromandelicus, Cursorius asiaticus LATH., 

 Charadrius coromandelicus GM., BUFF. PL enl. 892, GUER. Iconogr., Ois. 

 PI. 50, fig. 3, &c. 



b) With first quill of wings short, second and third longest of all. 



Sp. Cursorius chalcopterus TEMM. PL color. 298, GRAY Genera, PI. CXLIII. 

 Senegal. This entire genus is peculiar to the continent of the eastern 

 hemisphere. 



Oreophilus JARDINE and SELBY. 



Note. Genus unknown to me, related to the preceding. Sp. Oreophilus 

 totanirostris from the Falkland Islands. 



