CURSORIUS. 579 



Gen. CurSOriuS. Lath. 



Bill moderatly long; tarsi long and slender, scutellated ; 1st and 2nd quills 

 longest ; tail short. 



1250. Cursorius coromandelicus, Gmei, Syst. Nat. i. p. 781 ; 



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

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

 Murray, TLdbk., Zool., fyc., Sind, p. 207; id., Vert. Zool. Sind. p. 22 1. 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. 



Hab. 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, &c. 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, blotches and smears of pale inky grey either all over 

 or on only some portion of the egg; the markings above this are narrow 

 scratches and streaks of blackish brown. 



1251. 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. 1 1 ; id., Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 566; Murray, Hdbk. 

 Zool., Sfc., Sind, p. 207 ; id., Vert. Zool., Sind, p. 221. THE CREAM-COLOURED 

 COURIER PLOVER. 



Forehead and crown rufescent or pale orange buff, shading on to the back 

 of head into grey or ashy grey, below which, on the nape, is a small black 

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

 black streak from behind the eye ; lores pale white ; chin and throat pale white ; 

 breast isabelline brown, fading on the abdomen to albescent, and white on the 

 under tail coverts ; back, scapulars, tertials and wing coverts warm rufous 

 buff, brighter on the tail, the outer feathers of which on each side have a 



