234 



CUKSOEIUS. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



The ten species of Coursers are very easily diagnosed. They each possess well-defined 

 characters both in the adult and in immature plumage. In the following key no attempt 

 is made to discriminate between the two local races or subspecies of C. licimtm. One of 

 these is only a pale form, and the other is little else than a dwarf race of the typical 

 species. 



Hind head slate-grey . 



Inner primaries chestnut- ) 

 buff. < 



gallicus • • • 

 somalensis • • 

 *- rufus . . . . 

 seuegalensis • 

 coromandelicus 

 bicinctus ■ ■ 



Upper tail-coverts white . <; CmctuS • • • 



chalcopterus. 

 bitorquatus 

 aegyptius ■ - 



Axillaries deep black. 



Axillaries greyish buff. 



Axillaries dark grey. Large 

 ^ black patch on belli/. 



J 



White on secondaries confined 

 to a narrow margin. Fea- 

 ^ thers of upper parts with pale 

 margins. 



White patches near ends of 

 primaries. 



Of the characters in italics the first two are only found in adult birds, and the last is 

 found in young in first plumage of all the species. The key is, however, complete without 

 any of these characters. 



