212 GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. 



quent the margins of lakes and rivers, as well as marshes of 

 the interior of the country, feeding chiefly upon the insects 

 that such situations abundantly afford, and which they take 

 both on wing and on the ground, where the birds can run 

 very swiftly. Their flight, from the great length of wing, 

 and forked shape of the tail, is also extremely rapid. Their 

 moult is said to be double, but there is no abrupt or very 

 marked change of colour between the winter and spring 

 plumage, the variation principally consists in an additional 

 brilliancy and depth of tint. By LINNJEUS, who, with re- 

 spect to this group, appears to have mistaken similitude for 

 affinity, the Glareoles were placed amongst his Hirudines ; 

 in which error he has been followed by many subsequent 

 compilers. In the " Index Ornithologicus" of LATHAM, we 

 find the genus Glareola standing next to Rallus ; CUVIER, 

 also, in his " Regne Animal," placed it at the extremity of 

 his family of Macrodactyles, but as a group which he found 

 it difficult to reconcile in character with the others. In the 

 first edition of the " Land Birds" of this work, in which 

 the systematic arrangement of TEMMINCK was chiefly adopt- 

 ed, (the publication of it having been previous to the intro- 

 duction of the natural system, or that founded upon the true 

 affinities connecting the various orders and families), the 

 Glareola was given as a member of the Alectorides ; an order 

 framed by TEMMINCK for the reception of a few genera, 

 whose affinities he had not accurately traced, or which, upon 

 investigation, he could not readily arrange with his other 

 systematic divisions. These are now more appropriately 

 transferred to the stations they should occupy according to 

 their affinities ; and it is upon the connexion which may be 

 traced with the other members of the family of CharadriadtS, 

 that the genus Glareola now becomes included in that fa- 

 mily. 



