GLAREOLIDiE. 631 



Two species occur in India, the one with a longish forked tail, 

 of the same type as G. torquata, of Southern Europe ; the other 

 with a short and nearly even tail. 



With forked tail, restricted Glareola apud Gray. 



842. Glareola orientalis, Leach. 



Lin. Tr. XIII. 132, with bad figure— Bltth, Cat. 1543— 

 G. torquata apud Jerdon, Cat. 370 — Gould, Birds of Australia 

 VI., pi. 23? 



The Large Swallow-plover. 



Descr. — Upper plumage, including the head, pale hair-brown ; 

 orbits white beneath, feathered ; quills blackish, the shaft of 1st 

 primary white externally ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail with the 

 feathers white at their base, broadly tipped with blackish brown ; 

 beneath, the chin and throat rufous, surrounded by a black line 

 from the gape ; below this the breast and abdomen are rufous 

 earthy, passing into white on the lower abdomen, vent, and under 

 tail-coverts ; axillaries and posterior portion of the under-wing 

 coverts chesnut. 



Bill black, gape red; feet dusky black; irides dark brown. 

 Length 10 inches ; extent 24 ; wing 1\ ; tail 4^, forked for about 

 1 inch ; bill at gape nearly 1 ; tarsus 1£. The young are spotted 

 with pale fulvous. 



This large Swallow-plover nearly resembles G. torquata of 

 Europe, but differs conspicuously by its much less forked tail, 

 in this approaching G. limbata, Strickl., of Africa. The figure of 

 Gould quoted above has the throat fulvous white with blackish 

 spots, and probably represents a distinct species. 



The large Swallow-plover is found throughout India in suit- 

 able places, but chiefly in the cold weather, and I am not aware 

 if it breeds in this country. It is generally found near large 

 rivers, occasionally in very large flocks, hawking over the fields 

 of grain or rumnahs of grass, catching insects in the air, and 

 sometimes uttering its peculiar call when flying. Now and then 

 small parties may be seen, long after sunset, flying round and 

 round some small field or cultivated patch, pursuing moths or 



