Order  VII.  GRALLiE. 
Family  I.  Char  abridge. 
The  second  Subfamily, 
CURSORINiE,  or  Coursers, 
have  the  Bill  moderate,  slender,  with  the  basal  portion  of  the  culmen  weak,  and  somewhat  cultrated 
above  the  nostrils,  beyond  which  it  is  slightly  arched  to  the  tip  ;  the  nostrils  lateral,  placed  in  a  short, 
subtriangular,  membranous  groove,  with  the  opening  longitudinal  and  exposed ;  the  Wings  lengthened 
and  pointed ;  the  Tail  short  ;  and  the  Legs  lengthened,  scutellated  in  front  and  behind,  and  with  only 
three  slender  toes  in  front. 
Pluvianus  Vieill.* 
Bill  shorter  than  the  head,  strong,  broad  at  the  base,  and  much  compressed  towards  the  tip,  the 
culmen  at  the  base  rather  compressed  to  the  front  of  the  nostrils,  and  arched  from  thence  to  the  tip,  the 
lateral  margins  nearly  straight  and  bent  inwards ;  the  nostrils  placed  in  a  membranous  space,  longi- 
tudinal and  exposed.  Wings  lengthened,  with  the  second  quill  the  longest.  Tail  moderate,  and  nearly 
even.  Tarsi  much  longer  than  the  middle  toe,  and  transversely  scaled  in  front  and  behind.  Toes  three 
in  front,  slender,  the  lateral  ones  nearly  equal ;  and  the  claws  short,  compressed,  curved,  and  acute. 
The  type  of  this  division  is  peculiar  to  Northern  Africa ;  and  it  is  on  the  sandy  banks  of  the  rivers,  after  the  waters 
have  retired  to  their  bed,  that  they  are  found  in  pairs  or  in  small  societies  of  seven  or  eight,  seeking  for  various  kinds 
of  insects  which  inhabit  such  places.  It  is  said  to  enter  the  mouth  of  the  crocodile  (which  is  always  kept  open  while 
basking  in  the  sun)  to  feed  on  the  swarms  of  gnats  that  infest  the  palate  of  that  animal,  to  such  an  extent,  that  the 
palate,  which  is  naturally  yellow,  becomes  of  a  blackish  brown  colour  in  consequence  of  their  numbers. 
1.  P.  cegyptius  (Linn.)  PI.  enl.  918.  —  P.  chlorocephalus  Vieill.;  I  de  l'Egypte,  Ois.  t.  6.  f.  4. ;  Cursor  charadrioides  Wagl. ;  Ammop- 
C'haradrius  melanocephalus  Gmel. ;  Charadrius  africanus  Lath.  Hist.   I  tila  charadrioides  Swains. 
Cursorius  Lath.j- 
Bill  moderate,  broader  than  high  at  the  base,  laterally  compressed  to  the  tip,  the  culmen  straight  at 
the  base,  and  then  gradually  arched  to  the  tip  ;  the  nostrils  placed  in  a  membranous  groove,  longitudinal 
and  exposed.  Wing*  lengthened,  with  the  first  two  quills  the  longest.  Tail  short,  and  nearly  even. 
Legs  lengthened,  with  the  apical  portion  of  the  thigh  naked,  and  scutellated  for  the  length  of  the  middle 
toe.  Tarsi  not  less  than  twice  the  length  of  the  middle  toe,  and  covered  with  broad  transverse  scales 
both  in  front  and  behind.  Toes  three  in  front,  the  outer  longer  than  the  inner  ;  the  claws  short  and 
slightly  curved. 
*  Established  by  Vieillot  in  {Analyse,  p.  55.)  1816  ;  in  1827  Gloger  used  in  its  place  Hyas  ;  and  in  1837  two  names  were  proposed, 
viz.  Ammoptila  by  Mr.  Swainson,  and  Cheilodromas  by  Dr.  Riippell :  these  are  coequal  with  the  above. 
f  Founded  by  Latham  (Ind.  Ornith.  ii.  p.  751.)  in  1790  ;  Tachydromus  Illiger  (1811)  and  Cursor  Wagler  (1827)  are  coequal. 
