GfLAREOLA ORIENTAL IS , Leach.
O r i e n t a l P r a t i n c o l e .
Qlarjeola Orientalis, Leach in Linn. Trans.,, .vol. xiii. pp. 132, 187. tab. xip/fig. 1. male, fig. 2. female —Less.
Mus Coll., part iii. p. 62. Oriental Pratincole, LaMr.d^^^istf^^^^gp .f36fff
A small collection ,o f bifdp presented to the Linnean Society in the early part o f 1827 by Alexander
MacLeay, Esq:/of Sydney, comprised a pair of these birds ; unfortunately the whole were unaccompanied
by any information as ,|o the part q^^u%tyalia in which they had been procured, but as all the other species
were peculiar to the east.etD.apd nortliern parts o f the continent, it is reasonable to infer that the present
bird was also kjd]M/ai|Qxie/Qr^«her ofthose localities. The tr ue^haMtatqf tjbe Oriental Pratincole is India
and the neighbouring islands ; i t is most likely, therefore, that its visits to Australia are only occasional.
Crown and all the upper surface e l tv e ; primaries brownish black; secondaries black, glossed with green j
pAdteoverls and tail white, the apical portion o f the latter ‘black ; throat white, encircled by a broken ring
o f black ; chest greyish brown ; upper 'part q^^he abaomen crossed by an indistinct band o f buff/ which
g igM ly ; fa d e s into the white o f the venjt and under tail-coverts ; under surface of the wing rich deep rustled
; bill black; gape yellow ; feet blackish brown. -
T h e yo un g o f the year is similar in cblour, but much .paler, .and has only an indication o f the ring
surrounding the throat.
. -v- The Plate represents a male and^k female o f the natural size.