CUE80KIUS.— EHINOPTILUS. 147 



Genus CURSORIUS. 



C/«r«oHKs= pertaining to a race-course ; cursor = a, runner, from curro=l run. 



Bill slightly curved. Three toes only. Plumage brown and rufous. Breast 

 without band. Tail short, of twelve feathers. First and second quills subequal, 

 first generally longest. Mid claw slightly pectinated. About the size of a Lap- 

 wing. Resemble Bustards both in structure and habits, but they are of small 

 size and do not change plumage at breeding season. S. Europe, Africa, S.W. 

 Asia, India, and Ceylon. 



125. Oursorius coromandelicus. The Indian Courier Plover. 



Nukri (Hindi); Yerra Chitawa (Telugu). 



c? 9" to 10". Legs cream-white. Bill black. Irides brown. White super- 

 cilia meeting at nape, bordered below with black and surmounting a rufous collar. 

 Above sandy, axillaries sandy. Abdomen chestnut, with black patch. Crown 

 bright red, the long occipital feathers concealing a nuchal spot. India and 

 Ceylon. Two or three eggs (1-19 x 0-97), drab, blotched with black. (J. 840. 

 B. 1422.) 



126. Cursorius gallicus. The Cbeam-oolourbd or Euhopban 

 CoTJBiBR Plover. 



Ga,lUeus=ot the Gauls, Galli. Gmelin seems to have thought it only occurred in France. 



$ 10". Legs cream. Bill brown, tip black. Irides pale grey. — Male : Fore- 

 head pale buffi Crown pale orange, hinder part shading into grey, below which 

 is a triangular black spot. "Wing - coverts cream - yellow. Abdomen white. 

 Axillaries black. 



Inhabits desert plains of N. Africa and S.W. Asia, including Baluchistan, 

 Afghanistan, and N.W. India. An occasional visitor to S. Europe, and a rare 

 straggler to England in late autumn. "Eggs (1-3 x 1-0) pale olive, speckled brown 

 and grey. Doubtful if this bird breeds in India. (B. 1423.) 



Also C somalensis. 7i". With axillaries ashy grey. From Somaliland. 



C. rufus. 7J". With axillaries light brown, tipped white. From S. Africa. 



O. temmincTci. 6-6", Similar to G. coromandelicus. From tropical Africa. 



Also the genus Ortyxelus. One species — 0. meiffreni, the Little Courser from W. Africa, 

 4-8", with plumage variegated like a Quail. 



Also the genus Pluvianus. One species — P. oegyptius, the Black-headed Plover, from 

 W., N., and E. Africa, occurring as a straggler in Mediterranean countries. 



Genus EHINOPTILUS. 



plv=a, nose. 



Adopted by Jerdon as a mountain form of Cursm"ius. The form combines 

 large eye and somewhat the colour of some of the true Plovers, with legs and 

 general structure of Couriers. The genus is almost Ethiopian, but a single species 

 of great rarity occurs in C. India. 



Bill straight. Second and third primaries subequal and longest. Outer toe 

 joined by web. No hind toe. Mid claw slightly pectinated. 



With one black band across the forenecJc. 

 127. Rhinoptilus bitorqiuatus. The DotrBLB-BANDBD Courier Plover. 

 Adavi-wula-tltti (Telugu). 



S 9" to 10". Legs pale flesh-yellow. Bill black, yellow at base. Throat 

 white, with red band. Broad brown gorget and second white collar. First and 



