128 EGGS OF BRITISH BIEDS. 



THE CREAM-COLOURED COURSER 

 (Cursor ius gallicus.) 



Plate 3(j, Fig. 3. 



The present species is only an accidental visitor to Great 

 Britain and Europe generally. It breeds in the Canary Islands, 

 and thence through the deserts of Northern Africa to Persia. 



The eggs are deposited on the bare ground, and they closely 

 resemble their surroundings in colour. They are two in number, 

 of a pale ochraceous buff ground-colour, thickly spotted, blotched, 

 and freckled with huffish-brown, and with numerous underlying 

 markings of grey, which give them a very marbled appearance. 

 They vary in length from 11 to 1'35 inch, and in breadth from 

 11 to 10 inch. 



THE COMMON PBATINCOLE. 



(Glareola 2>^'cdincola.) 

 Plate 36, Figs. 4, 5. 



Nearly all of the occurrences of this bird — and more than 

 twenty instances have been noted — have taken place in spring 

 and autumn. The Pratincole is a regular summer visitor to the 

 basin of the Mediterranean, Spain, and the valley of the Lower 

 Danube. North of these limits it is an accidental visitor to 

 various parts of Central Europe. 



The birds do not make any nest, but lay their eggs upon the 

 bare ground, seldom, if ever, taking the trouble to scratch a 

 hollow or to collect what dry grass or seaweed may be at 

 hand. 



The eggs of the Pratincole are very fragile, oval in form, being 

 scarcely more pointed at one end than the other. They vary in 

 ground-colour from citron or yellow-ochre to pale slate, richly 

 spotted all over with streaks and blotches of dark brown, 

 (approaching black in some instances), mostly so at the large 

 end. The underlying spots of pale greyish-brown are usually 

 very distinct, and often impart great beauty to the egg, giving it 

 a marbled appearance. They vary in length from 1*35 to 11 

 inch, and in breadth from l'O to 0"9 inch. 



