CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 195 
CURSORIUS COROMANDELICUS (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 210 ; 
Legge, p. 977). 
The Indian Courser. 
Description —Upper plumage in general grayish-brown ; 
forehead and crown rich chestnut, the long crown feathers 
partly concealing a black patch on the nape. A broad white 
stripe runs from near the bill over each eye meeting at the 
nape ; this is bordered below by a black band running through 
the eye. Chin white, passing into rufous on the throat ; 
upper neck, all round fore-neck, and breast rufous, deepening 
into chestnut on the lower breast ; centre of the abdomen 
black ; the lower abdomen, flanks, upper and under tail 
coverts white. The sides of the body and axillaries the same 
gray-brown asthe back. Primary coverts and primary quills 
black ; secondaries grayish towards the ends and tipped with 
white. All except the two middle feathers of the tail are 
banded with black and tipped with white, the white increasing 
towards the sides of the tail, the outer feathers being practi- 
cally all white. 
Females are slightly larger than males. 
Young birds are mottled all over above with brown and 
buff, with some spots as well on the under plumage. 
Bill blackish, moderately long, slender, and slightly curved ; 
iris dark brown; legs and feet white or whitish-yellow ; 
claws black. 
Length 9; wing 6 ; tail 2°25 ; tarsus 2-1 ; bill from gape 1:1. 
Distribution —The north-west coast, from the Jaffna 
Peninsula to the boundary of the Puttalam District. Occurs 
through a great part of the Indian Peninsula, except in the 
north-west. ‘J 
Habits —In Ceylon it is restricted to sandy wastes and 
bare pasturages near the sea. In India it is also found in 
open sandy or stony plains inland. 
Generally seen in small scattered troops running hither and 
thither in search of insects. It appears to breed about March, 
and probably later in the year, laying on the bare ground 
two, or sometimes three, eggs, broad oval in shape, and 
stone-coloured, with dull black scrawls, mottlings and blotches. 
Average size about 1°20 by °97. 
4 6(9)16 
