84 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



This is the largest of the South African coursers, 

 measuring some 10 in. to 11 in. in length, with a wing 

 measurement of 7 in. to 8 in. Mr. Seebohm has an 

 interesting theory regarding the bronze wing-tips of 

 this bird. He suggests that the metallic colouring 

 probably indicates its affinity to the lapwings. 



The double-banded courser {Gursorms hicincUis) is 

 a little inferior in size to the last-named. It has a 

 much wider distribution. I found it years ago on 

 the Great Karroo of Cape Colony, and, on my last 

 expedition to South Africa, I met with it again in 

 Bechuanaland. It has been found in several parts of 

 Cape Colony and Natal, as well as in Great Nama- 

 qualand, Damaraland, Ovampoland, and other regions 

 of the interior. The colouring of the dorsal plumage 

 in this bird is a blend in which rufous is the most 

 conspicuous. The feathers are lightly marked with 

 black down the shafts, the tips are whitish, the 

 breast and stomach are pale rufous, the throat 

 creamy white. Between the breast and stomach 

 occur the two black bands from which this courser 

 takes its name. The lower part of the stomach and 

 rump are white. The legs, too, are whitish. Mr. 

 E. L. Layard, in the excellent notes to his Birds 

 of South Africa, mentions a singular trick of this 

 bird and of Burchell's courser, which is, I think, 

 common to all the South African coursers. It is 

 certainly possessed by the violet-winged and Senegal 



