THE PRATINCOLE. 503 



First winter. Male and female. — As adults and only to be dis- 

 tinguished when one or two juvenile wing-coverts are retained. 

 The juvenile body-plumage, tail-feathers, wing-quills and wing- 

 coverts are moulted Aug. to Nov. but sometimes juvenile wing- 

 coverts are retained. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 186.5-201 mm., tail 

 107-120, tarsus 30-32, bill from feathers 13-16 (12 measured). $ 

 wing 184-204, bill 12.5-14. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 

 3rd 4.5-13 mm. shorter, 4th 18.5-27 shorter, 5th 34-44 shorter, 

 6th 46-58 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 6th and 8th 

 primaries. Tail deeply forked, outermost pair exceeding central 

 pair by about 50-60 mm. in ad. $ and 30 in juv. Bill short, broad 

 at base, tapering to a point, decurved, nasal groove wide and 

 feathered. Four toes, middle and outer ones webbed at base 

 almost up to first joint ; claw of middle toe pectinated on inner 

 side. 



Soft parts. — Bill black, red at base ; legs and feet black ; iris 

 hazel. 



Characters and allied eorms. — G. p. limbata (Senegal to Nubia, 

 N. Somaliland and S. Arabia) has upper -parts darker brown, throat 

 browner, inner under wing-coverts and axillaries darker red-brown ; 

 G. p. fiilleborni (Uganda and E. Africa) has characters of limbata 

 still more pronounced (Hartert). Bay axillaries and deeply 

 forked tail distinguish G. p. pratincola from all other British 

 Waders. 



Field -characters. — Flight swift and powerful. At a little distance 

 has appearance of a large, somewhat bulky Swallow. Very demon- 

 strative, noisy and unmistakable at nesting-places, flying close to 

 intruder and frequently settling on ground within a few yards, 

 often lying on its side or crouching with wings full spread and resting 

 on ground. (H.F.W.) 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts mud-flats of estuaries, such as maris- 

 mas of south Spain, and in wet years nests on islets in shallow water 

 or on barren flats in small or medium-sized colonies. Nest. — 

 Practically none ; eggs sometimes laid in hoof print in mud, in 

 scrape or shingle, or among low salt vegetation. Eggs. — 2 or 3 

 normally, 4 occasionally, greyish or buff and thickly marbled and 

 spotted all over with black-brown, and grey shellmarks. Average 

 of 100 eggs, 32.4x24. Max.: 35.6x24.3 and 33x26.2. Min. : 

 27.9x22.2 mm. Breeding -season. — Early May onward in S. Spain 

 and Greece, and apparently in June in Palestine. No reliable 

 information as to incubation. Single brooded. 



Food. — Insects, including orthoptera (crickets, mole cricket, grass- 

 hoppers and locusts), odonata and Phryganeidse, coleoptera (Melo- 

 lontha, Geotrupes, Copris, Aphodius, Hister, Carabus, Harpalus, 

 Cicindela, Silphidce, Staphylinidw, etc.). 



