500 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



wing-coverts, by broad buff tips to primaries and by juvenile feathers 

 of back and rump when not moulted. The juvenile body-plumage 

 (not all scapulars and sometimes not feathers of back and rump), 

 exceptionally two central pair of tail-feathers, some innermost 

 secondaries and apparently their coverts, most median and some 

 lesser covert are moulted May to Nov., but apparently not usually 

 rest of wings or tail-feathers, occasionally many juvenile feathers 

 are retained.* First summer. — The body-feathers (not all scapulars 

 nor all feathers of back and rump), sometimes central pair of tail- 

 feathers, some innermost secondaries and apparently their coverts 

 and some median and lesser coverts are moulted Dec. to March, 

 but not rest of wings or tail-feathers. Coloration as adult and only 

 to be distinguished by retained juvenile feathers. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 151-169 mm., tail 51-63, 

 tarsus 49-60, bill from feathers 21-25 (12 measured). $ wing 152- 

 170, bill 20-25. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd equal 

 or 2-5.5 mm. shorter, 4th 6-11 shorter, 5th 10-18 shorter, 6th 

 18-27.5 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 5th and 7th 

 primaries. Tail slightly rounded. Bill short, slender, tapering and 

 decurved. Tarsus long, slender, compressed anteriorly, scutellated. 

 Three toes (hind toe absent), outer and middle ones webbed at 

 base, claw of middle toe pectinated on inner side. 



Soft parts. — Bill blackish horn-grey, lower more blue -grey, tip 

 darker ; legs and feet milk-white, claws horn-grey ; iris deep 

 brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — C. g. bogolubovi (S. Transcaspia, 

 N.E. and E. Persia) differs from G. g. gallicus in having breast paler 

 and with greyish tinge ; C. g. exsul (Cape Verde Is.) has sides of 

 head and breast deeper isabelline-burT. Various other subspecies, 

 some of which require confirmation, have been described from 

 N.E. and E. Africa and Dahlak Is. Black axillaries and under- 

 wing coverts distinguish C. g. gallicus from other species of Coursers,, 

 and isabelline coloration from allied waders. 



Breeding-habits. — A desert haunting species, breeding in sandy 

 and bare places. No nest, eggs being laid in a scrape. Eggs. — 2, 

 stone-buff, closely marked and streaked all over with markings of 

 brown and grey shellmarks. Average of 100 eggs, 34.6x26.6. 

 Max. : 38.6x28.4 and 35.3x29.1. Min. : 31.2x25.1 and 33.5X 

 24.7 mm. Breeding -season. — Feb. and March in Canaries but in 

 N.W. Africa in April, May and June, and in Palestine even into 

 July. Incubation. — Said to be performed by female, but this needs 

 confirmation. Period unknown. Possibly more than one brood. 



Food. — Insects and their larva? ; also in their natural haunts, small 

 lizards and land-mollusca (snails). Insects include coleoptera,, 

 orthoptera (grasshoppers), diptera, and larvae of lepidoptera. 



* It appears that sometimes the remiges and their coverts are also 

 moulted at this or the pre -nuptial moult though in the birds examined they 

 were not actually found in quill ; new remiges like those of adult. — A. CM. 



