324? CURSORID.E, 



GENUS, Oursorius, Latham. 



Bill moderately long, slender, slightly arched throughout and 

 bent at the tip ; nostrils oval, not placed in a groove ; wings 

 moderate; the first and second quills longest ; tail short, even, of 

 twelve feathers ; tarsi long and slender, scutellated ; lateral toes 

 short, divided to the base ; nails small. 



Cursorius coromandelicus, Gm. 



840. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 626 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 10 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 425 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 221 ; 

 Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 132. 



THE INDIAN COURIER PLOVER. 



Length, 9 to 10 ; expanse, 19 to 20 ; wing, 6 ; tail, 2'4 ; tarsus, 

 2-2 ; bill at front, 0'8. 



Bill black ; legs creamy or opaque-white ; irides deep brown. 



Top of head bright ferruginous ; lores, continued through the 

 eyes to the nape, black, and a white eyebrow ; upper plumage 

 pale ashy or isabella-brown ; quills and primary-coverts black ; 

 chin white ; neck and breast pale isabella-rufous, deepening on 

 the abdomen to chesnut, and terminating in a black bar on the 

 ^middle of the belly ; lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts 

 white. 



The Indian Courier Plover occurs more or less commonly 

 throughout the region, excepting, of course, the more hilly tracts. 



It is in most places a permanent resident, breeding during 

 April. The eggs (there is no nest), two or three in number, are 

 spherical in shape, of a buff or cream-color, clouded, blotched or 

 smeared with patches of very pale inky-grey, and above this are 

 lines, scratches, and streaks of blackish-brown. 



These markings are generally small and closely set, with an 

 occasional inky-black smudge or smear intermingled. They 

 measure about 119 inches in length by about 0'97 in breadth. 



Cursorius gallicus, Gm. 



840fo's. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, Appendix, p. 874 ; 

 Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 11 ; Murray's 

 Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 221. 



THE CREAM-COLORED COURSER. 



Length, 10 ; wing, 6'5 ; tail, 2*5 ; tarsus, 2'2 ; bill at front, 0'85, 



Bill black ; legs yellowish-white. 



Forehead and upper plumage generally pale isabelline or sandy- 

 yellow ; top of the head pale grey ; a broad superciliary white 

 band from the eye to the occiput, with a narrower black line 

 beneath it ; both widen out at the occiput, which is sub-crested, 

 mixed black and white ; quills black ; tail concolorous with the upper 

 plumage, with a broad dark-brown terminal band, broadly tipped 

 with white on all, except the central feathers ; beneath, as above 



