GLAEEOLA. 



Plates. — Temm. PI. Col. no. 399 ; Gould, Birds of Asia, vii. pi. 64. 



Habits. — Legge, Birds of Ceylon, p. 984. 



Eggs. — Harting, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, pi. Ix. fig. 1, 



265 



The Little Indian Pratincole is very easily diagnosed from its allies. Jxillaries 

 black, secondaries with white bases to both webs is simple enough ; awillaries black, wine/ 

 from carpal joint less than seven inches is equally good : as either diagnosis is applicable 

 to immature as well as to adult birds. 



Its small size and the great amount of white on the primaries and secondaries 

 apparently indicate its affinity to G. cinerea, though the latter as well as the other two 

 small African species have acquired a nuchal collar and pale legs. 



The Little Indian Pratincole is a resident in India, Burma, and Ceylon, breeding in 

 colonies on the sandbanks near salt lakes and great rivers from the Indus to the Ganges. 

 Its habits scarcely differ from those of the larger species. In the daytime it is generally 

 seen on the ground; but in the evening it hawks after insects in the air, like a Swallow, and 

 it is remarkable for the efforts which it makes to wile an intruder from its nest. 



Literature. 



Specific 

 characters. 



Nearest 

 allies. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



* * 



Species with white or grey axillaries, pale legs, and a nuchal collar. 



GLAREOLA CINEREA. 



WHITE-WINGED PBATINCOLE. 



Glabeol.4 axillaribus albia. 



Diagnosis. 



2m 



