THE PRATINCOLE. 251 



rushes, close by the margin of the water ; and generally con- 

 cealed among the herbage. There are often two, sometimes 

 three broods in the year, the most numerous seldom exceed- 

 ing seven ; but the birds are not so abundant as might 

 thence be inferred, as the young are subject to various casual- 

 ties : the eggs are often washed away by summer floods ; the 

 young are sometimes taken by the heron, which, contrary to 

 its usual habit, is said to swim a little way, in order to cap- 

 ture the young of the gallinule. In places where there is 

 water for pike, or even for trout of sufficient size, these also 

 make prey of the young birds. In that, however, there is a 

 little more poetic justice than in the ravages by the heron, 

 as both old and young of the birds are in a great measure fed 

 upon the young of fish. The period of incubation lasts about 

 three weeks ; and the young are very soon able to accompany 

 their mother to the water. She leads them there in the 

 morning, and towards evening ; but during the night and the 

 heat of the day she returns with them to the nest, and 

 gathers them under her wings.* 



THE PRATINCOLE (Grlctreola). 



Of this singularly swift-winged genus, only one species 

 has hitherto made its appearance in any part of the British 

 islands, and then only as a very occasional straggler. That 

 species is the collared pratincole ( Glareola torquata), of which 

 a representation is given on the plate at page 135. 



The general characters of the genus, of which there are 



* The gallinule, or water-hen, is common on most ponds or ornamental 

 sheets of water surrounded by a belt of dense, tall herbage. It often 

 perches upon a bush, its long toes being endowed with considerable power 

 of grasping. It often visits smooth grass -swards adjacent to the water, 

 and may be observed walking about in search of worms or slugs, ever 

 and arioii flirting up its tail, and displaying the white under-coverts. It 

 is by no means so shy as the water -rail, and may be readily watched by 

 a quiet observer. M. 



