PRATINCOLE. 103 



the air within sight, they proceed very swiftly, and on lower- 

 ing to alight they shoot like arrows by one another ; finally, 

 they once more open their wings to their full length and highly 

 raised, and then settle rather closely spread over the ground. 

 In its nature the Pratincole is sociable and very lively, 

 it is also very restless. Where they meet with suitable 

 ground, they remain for some time in the neighbourhood, 

 flying away in a body, and often returning again in a moment, 

 to the great surprise of the beholder who may happen to have 

 startled them up. 



The flocks of these birds range generally in number from 

 ten to twenty, but rarely mix with any other species ; they 

 also breed in groups as it were, the nests not being far distant 

 from each other. During the time of migration they unite 

 in flocks of several hundreds, settle at times on the 

 wastes before-mentioned, each at some distance from its 

 neighbour, and if one only calls out, they all take wing, 

 circle in a body once or twice over the ground, and then 

 move off. 



The call-note sounds like the word, carjah, carjah ! and 

 bedra, bedra! very quickly expressed. 



It is an easy task to tame the Pratincole in confinement, 

 whether it be old or young, and if carefully treated it will 

 live some time. 



The food of the Pratincole consists chiefly in cockchafers 

 and other beetles of lesser dimensions, and grasshoppers, for 

 which purpose the bird is supplied with a powerful beak, 

 a wide gape, and strong digestive powers and nerves about 

 the stomach and swallow ; it also takes gnats and flies during 

 its search for the first-mentioned food. It has very incor- 

 rectly been said, that it feeds on small insects, which we are 

 able to contradict with due respect for several authors ; the 

 beetles and their remains that are found in its stomach are 



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