252 ORALLY. 



two other species, both inhabitants of the southern parts of 

 Asia, are, the bill short, convex, the upper mandible curved 

 for half its length, compressed, and without a notch. The 

 tibia feathered to the tarsal joint ; the tarsi long and slender, 

 the middle and outer toes joined by a short membrane at 

 their bases, but the inner toe free ; the claws long and awl- 

 shaped ; the wings very long and pointed ; and the tail 

 forked. 



The native habitat of the collared pratincole is in the east 

 of Europe, especially in the humid parts of the valley of the 

 Danube, and the south of Russia. The banks of the large 

 rivers and lakes, and the margins of the salt lakes and inland 

 seas, are its favourite places ; but it ranges occasionally into 

 some parts of Germany, France, and Italy ; and also makes 

 a dash into Britain, on the west side of which, and in the 

 western and northern isles, are the chief places where it has 

 been found. Its flight is exceedingly rapid, more so perhaps 

 than that of any other bird, so that when it is once on the 

 wing, a flight of two or three hundred miles is not more to 

 it, in point of time or of fatigue, than walking the length 

 of London is to a man. In its native localities, its nest is 

 formed in the thickest of the aquatic herbage, and the eggs 

 vary in number from three to seven. Aquatic insects, espe- 

 cially the coleopterous ones, form its principal food, and it 

 catches them with equal ease on land, on the surface of the 

 water, or in the air. The dytisci, or plunging beetles, do 

 not remain long at the surface, or raise much of their bodies 

 above it ; the gyrini whisk about upon the smooth and glassy 

 surface of the pools, with so much rapidity, that their paths 

 appear to the human eye as looped curves and circles of fire ; 

 but the pratincole dashes over the water with such swiftness, 

 that it twitches them up on the most momentary of their 

 ascents and the most rapid of their wheelings. No speed of 

 foot, length of leap, nor quickness of wing, can save the 



