632 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



beetles, and now and then alighting on the ground. In the 

 middle of the day, it may be seen seated in large flocks at the 

 edge of some tank, or on a sand-bank in the river. It is quite 

 possible that some few may breed in Northern India, but the 

 majority probably migrate to Thibet and central Asia. I saw one 

 pair of these birds as early as July in upper Burmah. 



The nearly allied Glareola pratincola is found in Southern and 

 Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. G. melanop- 

 tera, Nordmann, differing in its black lower wing-coverts, is found 

 in Tartary and other parts of Central Asia, and has been killed 

 in Greece. It is figured by Gould in his Birds of Asia, pt. II., pi. 

 15, and might occur as a straggler in the N. W. Provinces. Two 

 or three others from Africa are recorded. 



With shorter and even tail, Galachrysia, Bonap. 



843. Glareola lactea, Temminck. 



PI. col. 399 — Blyth, Cat. 1544— G. orientalis apud Jerdon, 

 Cat. 369 — Utteran in Sindh. 



The Small Swallow-plover. 



Descr. — Upper plumage pale brownish isabella colour ; upper 

 tail-coverts white ; tail white, tipped with dark brown for about one 

 inch on the centre feathers, diminishing to a quarter of an inch on 

 the outer ones ; primaries brown, the first four conspicuously 

 white shafted ; the inner web white on the last four or five ; 

 secondaries all white, tipped with brown ; winglet dark brown ; 

 chin, throat, and breast pale isabella colour ; belly and under 

 tail-coverts white ; axillaries and lower wing-coverts deep brown. 



Bill black, the gape red posteriorly ; feathered orbits white ; 

 irides deep brown ; legs dusky green. Length 6^ inches ; extent 

 16| ; wing 5| ; tail 2 ; bill at gape T \ ; tarsus -j-f . 



The small Swallow-plover occurs throughout the greater part of 

 the country, and is very abundant in some localities, especially near 

 large rivers. Now and then large parties are seen hawking over the 

 plains and fields, but it prefers hunting up and down the banks of 

 rivers, over sandy churrs, and by large tanks. In localities where they 

 abound, vast parties may be seen every evening after sunset taking 



