102 CURSORID^. 



Gen, Cursorius.— Z^M. 



Bill moderately long; tarsi long and slender, scutellated ; ist and 2nd quills 

 longest ; tail short. 



127. Cursorius coromandelieus, G?7iel., Syst. Nai. i. p. 781 ; 



Bodd.y PL Enl. 892 ; Gould, B. As. pi. 37 ; Jerdoti, B. Ind. iii. p. 626, 

 No. 840; Hume, Str. F. iv, p. 19 ; id., Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 564; 

 Hurray, Bdbk., ZooL, ^-c, Sind,^. 207; id.. Vert. Zool. Sind. p. 22i ; 

 id.,Avif. Brit. hid. ii. p. 579, No 1250. — The Indian Courier Plover. 



Forehead and top of head bright chestnut, a small patch of black on the 

 nape ; supercilium white, extending to and meeting behind the nape ; a black 

 streak from the base of the nostril and through the eye, also extending and 

 meeting behind ; chin and throat white or pale buffy white ; neck all round 

 pale ferruginous, darkening into deep ferruginous on the breast and upper 

 abdomen; a dark patch in the middle of the abdomen; primaries and their 

 coverts black ; under tail coverts white ; back, scapulars and wing coverts 

 earthy brown ; upper tail coverts the same ; tail with the outer feathers on 

 each side white, with a black edge subterminally on the inner web ; rest, 

 except the middle tail feathers, ashy brown at base, with a subterminal dark 

 band and a white tip ; bill black ; irides brown ; legs creamy white. 



Length. — 9 to 10 inches; wings 6; tail 2'37; tarsus 2'25. 



i/<z3.— Sind, Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Beloochistan, N. 

 Guzerat, Rajputana, Kutch, Kattiawar, Concan and Deccan, also Southern 

 India, affecting open grassy plains, feeding on grass seeds, insects, kc. They 

 are extremely shy, and run with great speed, now and again stopping dead to 

 look back, and when pressed do not fly far. Breeds from March to July, 

 under some tuft of grass or bush, laying 3 —4 eggs of a cream or bright buff 

 colour with patches, spots, bfotches and smears of pale inky grey either all over 

 or on only some portion of the Q'g'g ; the markings above this are narrow 

 scratches and streaks of blackish brown. There are but few sportsmen who 

 consider the Courier Plovers worth shooting for their flesh. The fact is, the 

 species are not so numerous at any one time and place to make a large bag, 

 but all who would do so may try a couple of brace done up in the most simple 

 way, and it would be found that the flesh is quite equal to that of any partridge, 

 in fact much richer and as tender as a chicken, while in flavour it may be 

 said to be as good as any of the Florikens. 



128. Cursorius galliCUS, Gmel., Syst. Nat. i. p. 784; Naum., vogt. 

 t. 171 ; Gould, B. Eur. pi. 266: Jerd., B. Ind. App. vol. iii. p. 874 ; Hume, 

 Str. F. i. p. 228 ; iv, 11 ; id., Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 566; Murray, Hdbk. 

 ZooL, Si'c, Sind, p, 207 ; id., Vert. Zool, Sind, p. 221; id., Avif. Brit. 

 hid.\\. p. 562, No. 1251. — The Cream-coloured Courier Plover. 



