CURSORIUS GALLICUS. 157 
female ; and from the ovaries it appeared the season for laying 
had passed. 
" The surviving bird continued well till the end of January; 
then, appearing ill, I fed it by hand till April, when as the 
weather became warmer it grew more healthy. I then shut 
it up in a cage with a white Turtledove. The Courser was 
the stronger bird, and did little else than play with the 
Dove ; but they lived in perfect harmony. In May, sexual 
desire was shown in a very marked manner ; but unluckily, 
the Dove was also a female. During the exhibition of this 
passion the Courser used to make a noise which may be 
expressed thus, ' rererer.' 
"This continued till the middle of June, then entirely ceasing 
till the next year (1853), when it resulted in the Courser 
laying eight eggs — the first on the 15th, the second on the 
16th, the third on the 30th of May, the fourth on the 1st, the 
fifth on the 11th, the sixth on the 14th, the seventh on the 
23rd, and the last on the 25th of June. In 1854 she laid 
again, with the same irregularity, twelve eggs — the first on 
the 17th of May, the last on the 28th of July. Though in 
perfect health, treated and fed in the same way, she did not 
lay in 1855 — but in 1856 laid two eggs, on the 6th and 7th 
of July. In 1857 she again, at irregular intervals, laid ten 
more eggs — the first in May, the last in July. In 1858 none 
were laid. In 1859 she produced four more eggs — the first 
two on the 6th and 7th of July, the others on the 9th and 
10th of August. 
" Shortly afterwards this bird, in perfect health, plumage, 
and vigour, was lost to ornithology, owing to the war between 
Spain and Morocco; for on the 25th of October I was 
ordered, with other French subjects, to embark in the French 
war-steamer ' Mouette,' and not knowing when I should 
return, and still less how to take care of my bird, I made up 
my mind to let it go ; but it was so tame that it either would 
not or could not use its wings : so, in my dilemma, I gave it 
in charge of a Moor during my absence ; but, unfortunately, 
on my return in April 1860 I found it had died. 
" From my ob.servations it seems that these birds could be 
