CURSORIUS. 221 



brown; lower part of the body almost white ; chin and throat white; 

 bill pale yellow, the ridge and tip dusky brown ; irides yellow. 



Length. — 17 to 19 inches, wing 7 to 7'8, tail 4 to 4'5. Female slightly 

 larger. 



Hab.^-Smd, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Central India, 

 Kutch, Kattiawar, Rajputana, Concan and the Deccan. In Sind 

 it occurs only in the vicinity of Kurrachee during August and 

 September, chiefly at Mulleer, affecting the high grass. It breeds in the 

 Deccan. In Sind a single egg was found on the Ilubb plains by Mr. 

 F. C. Constable. 



Family, CURSORID^,— Courier Plovees. 



Tarsi long, slender; bill slender, arched beyond the nostrils, which 

 are in a short triangular groove; wings long and pointed; toes three ; 

 no hind toe. 



Cursorius coromandelicus, Gmel. ; P. E. 892 ; Gould. B. As. 



pi. 37; Jerdon, B. Ind. iii. p. 626; Murray, Hdhk., Zool., Sfc, Sind, 

 p. 207. — The Indian Couriee Plover. 



Forehead and top of head bright chestnut, a small patch of black on 

 the nape ; superciliurn white, extending and meeting behind the nape; a 

 black streak from the base of the nostril and through the eye,' also 

 extending and meeting behind ; chin and throat white or pale buffy 

 white; neck all round pale ferruginous, darkening into deep ferruginous 

 on the breast and upper abdomen; a dark patch in the middle of the 

 abdomen ; primaries and their coverts black ; under tail-coverts white; 

 back, scapulars and wing-coverts earthy brown ; upper tail-coverts 

 the same; tail with the outer feathers on each side white, with a black 

 edge subterminally on the inner web ; rest, except the middle tail 

 feathers, ashy brown at base, with a subterminal dark band and a white 

 tip; bill black; irides brown; legs creamy white. 



Length. — 9 — 10 inches, wings 6, tail 2'37, tarsus 2'25. 



Hah. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Beloochistan, 

 N. Guzerat, Rajputana, Kutch, Kattiawar, Concan and Deccan, 

 affecting open grassy plains. Breeds in Sind from April to July. 



Cursorius galliCUS, Gm. ; Naum. vngt. t. 171; Gould. B. Eur. pi. 

 266; Jo7-d. B. Ind. App. vol. iii. p. 874; Murray, Hdbk., Zool., Sjc, 

 Sind, p. 207. — The Ceeam-colouked Courser. 



Forehead and crown rufescent or pale orange buff, shading on to the 

 back of head into grey or ashy grey, below which, on the nape, is a small 

 black patch ; superciliurn extending to and meeting behind the nape, also 

 a black streak from behind the eye ; lores pale white ; chin and throat 

 pale white; breast isabelline brown, fading on the abdomen to albescent, 

 and white on the under tail-coverts ; back, scapulars, tertials and wing- 

 coverts warm rufous buff, brighter on the tail, the outer feathers of 

 which on each side have a subterminal black band on the inner web 

 only; the others on both webs, and all, except the central tail feathers, 

 broadly tipped white ; primaries black ; secondaries with their outer 



