Pratincole. 373 



addition to the above narrative, Mr. Hussey tells me that ' the 

 land on which I found the bird was a stiff clay soil. I shot it 

 close to the sheep-fold, where there were sheep feeding off 

 turnips ; the bird appeared to be rather tame, but whether from 

 exhaustion or nature, I cannot tell.' 



I have also a notice but an unsatisfactory one which I have 

 not been able to verify, and without detail of time or place or 

 circumstances, that a second specimen was killed at Avebury 

 about 1860. Possibly this notice may enable some traces of it 

 to be discovered. 



The home of the Pratincole seems to be the steppes of Tartary 

 and the central parts of Asia ; but when we look at its marvellous 

 length of wing and deeply-forked tail, we are prepared to find 

 that it is of frequent occurrence in Southern Europe, as well as 

 Northern Africa, vast distances being soon traversed by a bird of 

 such enormous powers of flight. It can also run rapidly on the 

 ground, and it catches coleopterous and other insect prey on foot 

 as well as on the wing. It roosts on the ground, and flies late at 

 night, its large eyes being well adapted for seeing in the dark ; 

 in all these respects it shows its affinity to the Plovers. Its 

 prevailing colour is dove-brown above, and buff and white below ; 

 and its distinguishing mark, whence it derives its specific name, 

 is a collar or crescent of black, which in a narrow line encircles 

 its throat to the eyes. 



Its scientific name, glareola, is derived, according to the B.O.U. 

 Committee, from the localities it loves, from glarea, 'gravel/ 

 because it inhabits ' gravelly places ' ; and ' Pratincole,' from 

 pratum, 'a meadow'; and incola, 'an inhabitant,' because it 

 frequents open meadows. Our earlier British ornithologists 

 called it the 'Austrian Pratincole.' In Italy it is known as 

 Pernice di mare, ' Sea Partridge ' ; and in Malta as Perniciotta, 

 'Little Partridge' ; in France it is Glareole d collier; in Germany, 

 Deis rothfussige Sandhuhn, 'Red-footed Sand-fowl ; in Spain, 

 Canastera; and in Portugal, as in Italy, Perdiz do mar. It 

 frequents the margins of lakes and rivers, as well as marshes in 

 the interior of the country. Those who are acquainted with it 



