CURSORIUS GALLICUS. 263 



near the banks of rivers, where I have sometimes' shot them as 

 they flew by when waiting for ducks in the evening, and they are 

 doubtless nocturnal feeding birds. Except in the breeding-season, 

 when they are very noisy, I have found them rather wild. 



Two obscure white bands across (extended) wings ; breast streaked ; 

 chin and throat white ; tail rather long and graduated ; bill yellow, 

 terminal half black ; legs yellow ; iris very large and yellow. Length 

 1G inches. 



285. Cursorius g-allicus (J. F. Gmelin). The Cream-coloured 

 Courser. 



Moorish. Gueta (Fattier) i but this name applies also to 

 Pier odes alchata. 



" This Courser appears annually during July in some numbers 

 on the plains of Sharf el Akab, not far from Tangier. Their stay 

 there and their numbers vary according to the abundance or 

 scarcity of insects, and also with the temperature ; for unless the 

 latter is favourable, they are rarely met with, and none were seen 

 during the year 1854. They leave these plains in August or the 

 first part of September. Early in summer they ought to be found 

 nesting near Sharf el Akab, as in May, 1847, a male was brought 

 to me by a chasseur, who rescued it from a Falcon which had 

 struck it down. 



"Their food is entirely insects or larva?, particularly Pcntatoma 

 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 them- 



