CURSORIUS GALLICUS. 265 



"The surviving bird continued well till the end of January; 

 then, appearing ill, I fed it by hand till April, when as the 

 weather became warmer it grew more healthy. I then shut it 

 up in a cage with a white Turtle-Dove. The Courser was the 

 stronger bird, and did little else than play with the Dove ; but 

 they lived in perfect harmony. In May, sexual desire was shown 

 in a very marked manner ; but, unluckily, the Dove was also a 

 female. During the exhibition of this passion the Courser used 

 to make a noise which may be expressed thus, ' rerererJ 



" This continued till the middle of June, then entirely ceasing 

 till the next year (1853), when it resulted in the Courser laying 

 eight eggs the first on the 15th, the second on the 16th, the 

 third on the 30th of May, the fourth on the 1st, the fifth on the 

 llth, the sixth on the 14th, the seventh on the 23rd, and the last 

 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. 



" Shortly afterwards this bird, in perfect health, plumage, and 

 vigour, was lost to ornithology, owing to the war between Spain 

 and Morocco ; for on the 25th of October I was ordered, with 

 other French subjects, to embark in the French war-steamer 

 ' Mouette,' and not knowing when I should return, and still less 

 how to take care of my bird, I made up my mind to let it go ; 

 but it was so tame that it either would not or could not use its 

 wings ; so, in my dilemma, I gave it in charge of a Moor during 

 my absence; but, unfortunately, on my return in April 1860 I 

 found it had died. 



" From my observations it seems that these birds could be 



