566 

 CREAM COLOURED COURSER. 



Cursorius gallicus (Gmelin). 



Accidental visitant from northern Africa and Asia, of extremely 

 rare occurrence. 



It is difficult to understand the causes which impel this 

 beautiful bird to wander from the deserts of Africa and Asia 

 to these inhospitable shores. The first reference to its occur- 

 rence in Yorkshire appears in Atkinson's " Compendium of 

 British Ornithology," where one is recorded as having been 

 killed near Wetherby, in April 1816, but unfortunately so 

 much injured by the shot, and so ill preserved, that it fell 

 a prey to insects. It was seen alone, frequenting a dry 

 piece of fallow ground, over which it ran with great swiftness, 

 making frequent short flights, and was approached without 

 difficulty. The haunts and habits of this bird, as described 

 by Latham, exactly agree with the foregoing, and in no respect 

 do they differ in plumage except that in the specimen under 

 notice the black patch behind the eyes was undivided by 

 any pale streak, and the crown of the head was ash-coloured. 

 A correct drawing of this bird was made when in its most 

 perfect state (Atkinson's " Compendium," 1820, p. 165). 



This is the same example as is referred to by Thomas Allis, 

 in his Report on the Birds of Yorkshire, 1844, thus : 



Cursorius isabellinus. Cream-coloured Courser Formerly the only 

 Yorkshire specimen was the one recorded by my friend H. Denny, in 

 his Catalogue of Leeds Birds ; in the " Annals of Natural History," 

 Vol. vii., he says a specimen was shot in April 1816, in a fallow field 

 near Wetherby, by Mr. Rhodes of that place. It came into the posses- 

 sion of Mr. J. Walker of Killingbeck Lodge, near Leeds ; he observes 

 " I did not see the specimen myself, but I have seen a most accurate 

 and highly finished drawing taken from the bird, which was in such 

 a mutilated state when it came into the possession of my friend Mr. 

 J. Walker, as to render its preservation impossible, having been killed 

 several days ; but from his sound practical knowledge as a naturalist 

 and his abilities as an artist, which are well known in this neighbour- 

 hood, there cannot remain the least doubt as to the authenticity of 

 the species ; I may add that its peculiar habit of running and then 



