244 CHARADRIID^E. 



the Sirsa district of the Punjab, states that his are rather 

 smaller and darker in appearance ; the bulk of them were 

 obtained in July, but the laying season varies, according to 

 the rains, from March to August.* Most of the eggs of the 

 Cream-coloured Courser in European collections are the pro- 

 duce of a bird brought to Favier in August, 1851, and then 

 in immature plumage. In 1853, after exhibiting much 

 sexual passion, and making a noise resembling ' rererer,' 

 the bird laid eight eggs the first on the 15th, the second 

 on the 16th, the third on the 30th May ; the fourth on the 

 1st, the fifth on the llth, the sixth on the 14th, the seventh 

 on the 23rd, and the eighth 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. 



As regards the habits of this species, Favier says : 

 " Their food is entirely insects or larvae, particularly Penta- 

 toma torquata, and different sorts of grasshoppers. They 

 are met with in small lots, usually frequenting dry arid 

 plains, where they spread out in all directions, running 

 about after insects, and are very wary and difficult to get a 

 shot at. Their cry of alarm is much like that of the 

 Plover. They rest and sleep in a sitting position, with their 

 legs doubled up under them. Should they not fly away 

 when approached, they run off with astonishing swiftness, 

 manoeuvring to get out of sight behind stones or clods of 

 earth ; then, kneeling down and stretching the body and 

 head flat on the ground, they endeavour to make themselves 

 invisible, though all the time their eyes are fixed on the 

 object which disturbs them, and they keep on the alert 

 ready to rush off again if one continues to approach them." 

 * 'Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds/ pp. 565-567. 



