THE NATURALIST. 



CURSORIUS ISABELLINUS. 



ORDER. — ECHASSIERS. FAMILY. PRESSIROSTRES. 



THE SWIFTFOOT. 



By Shirley Palmer, M. D. 



With the view rather of eliciting and collecting, than of communicating, 

 information on divers obscure parts of Zoology, I propose to give occasionally, 

 in The Naturalist, a sketch of one of the rarer or more curiously constructed 

 animals. My delineations will be taken from the best living or the most per- 

 fectly preserved specimens to which I can obtain access. I shall describe, as 

 •minutely and correctly as possible, the external characters of the subject of the 

 sketch ; and any peculiarities of internal structure, or of economy, which it may be 

 known to exhibit : and most especially shall I feel obliged by the communication 

 of any authentic facts respecting the anatomy, physiology, or habits of such 

 animal, which the experienced observer may be enabled, and have the kindness, 

 to supply. Facts, — not opinions or hypotheses, however novel or specious, — are 

 the only contributions which I crave, or covet, on these subjects. 



The description of the specific characters and habits of the animal will be 

 followed up, if not preceded, by a sketch of the characters of that genus to which, 

 in my opinion, it has been most correctly referred ; by an enumeration of its 

 synonyms in the leading languages of Europe ; and a reference to the most accu- 

 rate delineations, iconographical or literary, of the animal in question, which I have 

 hitherto seen. 



For the subject of my First Sketch, I have selected, the Cream-coloured 

 Swiftfoot, Cursorius Isabellinus, — a bird belonging to the Order, Echassiers, 

 Family, Pressirostres, of Cuvier ; and to the Grallatores, Charadriadce, of 

 modern British Ornithologists. 



VOL. I. b 



