CHARADRIAD^. 289 



Genus CURSORIUS, Lath. 

 BiH moderate, broader than high at the base, laterally- 

 compressed to the tip, the culmen straight at the base, and 

 then gradually arched to the tip; the nostrils placed in a 

 membranous groove, longitudinal and exposed ; wings 

 lengthened, with the first two quills the longest ; tail short 

 and nearly even ; legs lengthened, with the apical portion of 

 the thigh naked and scutellated for the length of the 

 ^middle toe ; tarsi not less than twice the length of the mid- 

 dle toe, and covered with broad transverse scales both in 

 front and behind ; toes three in front, the outer longer than 

 the inner ; the claw short, and slightly curved. 



551. Cursor] us Burchellii ; Tacky dromus Bur- 



chellii, Swain., An. in Menag., p. 340 ; Cursorius 



Capensis (Swain.), Schlegel., Museum des Pays-bas. 



p. 130. , 



Sides of neck and fore part of head, rufous ; under part 

 and nape, cinereous ; crown bordered (behind the eye) with 

 a pointed white collar, margined by black ; upper and under 

 plumage, fawn-coloured ; rump cinereous ; tail the same, 

 the outermo^ feather white ; two next with a black bar and 

 white tip, the rest tipped with black only ; chin, vent, and 

 thighs, white ; legs clothed with white scales ; in the centre 

 of the belly, a blackish patch ; larger wing-feathers, black, 

 the rest broadly tipped with white, which, appears most when 

 the bird is on the wing. Length, 7" 4"' ; wing, 4" 7'" ; 

 tail, 1" 9'". • 



This and the next species, C. Bicinctus, are not uncommon in the 

 Karroo, in the neighbourhood of Nel's Poort and Beaufort. They 

 are usually seen in small flocks, varying in number from five to 

 twenty or more, running a^g with great rapidity between the tufts 

 of stunted herbage which ctover these extensive plains. They have 

 a curious habit of swaying themselves to and fro on their lon^ thin 

 legs, when halting after a run, as if they had overshot themselves, and 

 were trying to recover their balance. They feed on seeds and small 

 insects. 



Specimens have been received from Colesberg ; and the Messrs. 

 Chapman brought them from the Interior. Found also at Natal. Two 

 eggs, said to belong to this species, were brought to me by a shepherd 

 lad, who pointed out the bird. They are of a delicate pale cream- 

 coloured ground; indistincly blotched throughout with darker cream- 

 colour, rounded at each end, nearly oval : axis, 14'"; diam., 10"'. After 

 seeing eg^^of gJ^d species in the collection of Messrs. Newton, 

 Tristram, Walters, and others, I am satisfied of the correctness of 

 this identification. 



