NOVITATES ZOOLOGICAE XXIII. 1916. 89 



NOTES ON GLAREOLA. 



By ERNST HARTERT, Ph.D. 



TN the Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. the genera Glareola, containing the species with 

 -*- a deeply forked tail, and Galactochrysea (corr. Galachrysia), embracing those 

 with a slightly forked one, are recognised. Mathews (B. Austr. iii. p. 321, 1913) 

 added Subglareola, with ocularis from Madagascar as genotype. These genera are 

 unnecessary, Glareola orientalis and ocularis forming stepping-stones from Glareola 

 s.s. to Galachrysia. 



Under Glareola pratincola Sharpe (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 53) and 

 Reichenow ( Vög. A fr. i. p. 144) united the birds of Southern Europe and West 

 Asia with those from Africa, believing that they migrated to tropical Africa, where 

 they passed the winter. This is not the case, as they breed in the latter country 

 and are distinguishable. Of recent authors Erlanger was the first to see the 

 differences in plumage, while Fülleborn, Erlanger, and Millar found them breeding 

 in East and S.E. Africa. 



While Erlanger (Jo um. f. Orn. 1905, p. 55) tentatively recognised G. p. 

 pratincola, limbata, and orientalis, from the Mediterranean countries, tropical 

 Africa, and Asia, Neumann (Orn. Monatsber. 1910, p. 10) went one step farther, 

 separating a second tropical African race, which he named Glareola pratincola 

 fiilleborni. Neumann's view is acceptable, though the two African forms are not 

 very easy to distinguish. 



Reichenow (I.e.) further confused the nomenclature by accepting Sharpe's 

 view, that T ring a fusca Linne {Syst. Nat. Ed. xii. 1, p. 252, 1766) was the same as 

 his Hirundo pratincola (t.c. p. 345), and temporarily being an advocate of strict 

 priority, even going as far as recognising page-priority, replaced the well-known 

 name pratincola by fusca ; one would have to accept this, if the name fusca could 

 possibly refer to the Pratincole, but it does not. Linne" took it from Brisson, who 

 described a bird from the Senegal which was all-over brown, including the 

 abdomen, the upper and under tail-coverts and throat. It is difficult to say what 

 this bird might have been, but it is quite certain that it was not Glareola pratincola ; 

 and therefore the name fusca, unfortunately adopted by Neumann, but not by 

 Erlanger, cannot be used for it. 



1. Glareola pratincola pratincola (L.) 



Hirundo Pratincola Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. Ed. xii. 1, p. 345 (1768 — "Habitat ad littora Europae 

 australioris ; in Austriae pratis apricis ''). 



Upperside yellowish greyish brown. Axillaries and inner under wing-coverts 

 ferruginous. Inner secondaries in fresh plumage with white tips. 



South Europe, North Africa north of the Sahara, Western and Western 

 Central Asia. 



2. Glareola pratincola limbata Rtipp. 



Glareola limbata Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 538 (1844 — ■Nomen nudum, ex Rüppell MS.) ; Rüppell, Syst. 

 Uebers. Vö'g. Nordost. Afr. p. 113 (1845 — -Near Djeddah and Massaua on the Red Sea and in 

 the highlands of Simen, Abyssinia). 



Colour of upperside slightly deeper brown, throat more brownish, inner under 

 wing-coverts deeper ferruginous. 



