CURSORIUS GALLICUS 201 



Blanc informs me that this species occurs occasionally in Tunisia, 

 and that he has received two or three examples of it within the last 

 ten years. 



The species, though undoubtedly a "rara avis " in Western Europe 

 and North-western Africa, probably occurs there more frequently than 

 is generally supposed, but is overlooked on account of its resemblance 

 to the common Pratincole. Examples of this bird have been obtained 

 of recent years on three occasions in England, viz., twice in Kent and 

 once in Sussex (Bull. B. 0. C, xiii, p. 78, et xiv, p. 17). In Italy the 

 species is recorded by Count Arrigoni as having been obtained on 

 May 5th, 1892, at Bagnolo, near Vicenza (Atl. Orn. p. 362), and by 

 myself as having been procured on April 27th, 1901, at Marsala, Sicily 

 {Ihis, 1904, p. 478). 



Nordmann's Pratincole is common in Southern Eussia and to the 

 east of the Black Sea. It is also found in Asia, at least as far as 

 India, and in Africa as far south as the Cape of Good Hope. 



In the localities it frequents, and in its life and general habits, the 

 present species resembles G. pratincola. 



In South Africa, where the bird appears in vast multitudes, it is 

 of great service to the farmer in combating the invasions of locusts, 

 so frequent in that country, and is consequently highly valued and 

 unmolested. In some parts of the country it goes by the name of 

 the "locust-bird." 



Family CHAEADKIID.^. 

 CURSORIUS GALLICUS (Gmelin). 

 CREAM-COLOUKED COURSER. 



Charadrius gallicus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, p. 692 (1788). 



Cursorius gallicus, Gray, List Grallce Brit. Mus. p. 60 (1840) ; 



Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv, p. 34 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. 



ii, p. 274 (1867) ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1896, p. 98 ; Erlangcr, J. f. 0. 



1900, p. 54. 

 Cursorius isabellinus, Malherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 19 (1846) ; 



Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 266 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 80. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from El Ksob, Central Tunisia. 

 Forehead and fore-part of the crown rufous isabelline ; hind part of the 

 crown bluish-grey ; a white stripe above each eye extending backwards to 



