42 COURIER. 



GENUS XCVL— COURIER. 



1 HE bill, in this Genus, is short, straight, with the gape very wide. 

 Legs long, thighs short. 

 Feet palmated, three toes before and one behind; the last short. 



Corrira Italica, Ind. Orn. ii. 787. Gm. Lin. i. 653. 



Corrira, Bris. vi. 542. Id. 8vo. ii. 505. Johnst . Av. pi. 48. f. 3. 



Trochilus, vel Corrira, A/drov. iii. 288. t. p. 289. Rail, 128. 3. Will. 240. t. 60. 



Id. Engl. 321. pi. 60. Charlet. Ex. p. 102. ix. Id. Onom. 97. 

 Italian Courier, Gen. Syn. v. 298. 



THIS is less than the Avoset, and the legs shorter in proportion. 

 The bill shorter, straight, yellow, with a black tip; irides of two 

 colours, first white, surrounded with chestnut; the head, and all the 

 upper parts of the body, and wings rusty iron-colour; under parts 

 white; the two middle tail feathers are white, tipped with black; 

 the others black ; toes webbed as in the Avoset. 



This bird is said to inhabit Italy, and to run very fast, whence 

 the name given to it. Aldrovandus is the only one who has seen the 

 bird, and from him alone all succeeding authors have copied the 

 description and figure. It swims occasionally, but generally wades 

 five or six inches deep in the water. Some have supposed this bird 

 to be no other than the Avoset, with a mutilated bill ; a circumstance 

 which I once saw, from both mandibles having been shot away within 

 two inches of the gape, and might have passed for quite a different 

 bird ; yet the colours described by Aldrovandus by no means 

 correspond with those of the Avoset. Charleton calls it the Fin- 

 footed Runner. Johnston gives much the same account as Aldro- 

 vandus, from whom he has no doubt taken the description ; and 

 Will ugh by 's description and figure have originated from the same 

 source. 



