664 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
(Gumming), Zobeir (Marshall) and Diz, April 25th (Douglas). In the Bombay 
Museum there is an egg taken in March by Capt. Wilson in lat, (south of 
Baghdad). 
One skin examined : ^ , 25-10-18, Samarra (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.). 
242. Stone Curlew. Burhinus oedicnemus. 
1. Burhinus cedicnemus sakarce. (Rchw.) (J. f. 0.. 1894, p. 102 — 
Tunis). 
2. Burhinus adicnemus astutus, Hart. (Xov\ Zook, 1916, p. 93 — F?o). 
The Stone Curlew is fairly common in suitable places and both the above races 
occur. Unfortunately the collections do not contain any breeding birds and so 
the status of the two races cannot be made out, but Stone Curlew are to be found 
throughout the year and breed in the country. Logan Home noted it as common 
on the shingle islands along the river at Samarra on June 15th, the birds were 
paired and were courting; it is also found all up the river to Tekrit, he also saw 
it at Shaiba in May and June. Pitman noted quite large flocks of twenty to a 
hundred individuals in the Adhaim area from September to Xovember, they 
spent the day in the scrub and flighted out to the plains at night, at which time 
they were very noisy ; specimens which he obtained at that time I refer to 
Sahara. On August 1st Buxton found Stone Curlews common in the stony 
desert at Khanikin whence they flighted to the valleys at sundown, one he ob- 
tained there is certainly astutus and the date is early enough to suggest that 
it was a breeding bird of the district ; on the other hand Pitman obtained a 
specimen of saharae at Lake Akkarkuf on August 21st. It would be very re- 
markable if both these forms breed in the same area, possibly one is a hill form 
and comes to the plains early in autumn and the other is resident in the plains. 
Further investigation is required on this point and some breeding birds from 
different areas are essential. 
Pitman obtained incubated eggs in the flat open country near R. Hai near 
Kut on June 15th and two stale incubated eggs on May 20th near the Es Sinn 
position. Stoneham says that this bird is quite good eating. 
(1) L. Akkarkuf, 21-8-17; Adhaim, 27-9-17, 9-10-17 (two) (C. R. P.); 
$, Shustar, 2-1-18 (F. M. B.) ; Frontier of Arabistan, 1916 (W). ; wing, 
232-250, bill (base) 4P5-43 mm. 
(2) 5, Khanikin, 1-8-18; wing 243 (P. A. B.); Sheik Saad, 3-10-16; 
wing 246, bill (base) 43 ‘5 mm. (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.) ; also a specimen from 
Fao in the British Museum. 
243. Cream-coloured Courser. Cursorius gallicus. 
Cursorius gallicus gallicus (Gm.) (Syst. Nat. i, pt. 2, p. 692, 1789 — 
France). 
Without being called a rare bird the Courser, except perhaps in a few places, 
cannot be said to be common, and is rather local ; though no nests were found 
it undoubtedly breeds and is resident. 
Though found in the bare flat mud desert it would seem to prefer the sandier 
and more pebbly parts, such as the edge of the Arabian desert on the west of the 
Euphrates and in the Adhaim area, and the former district at any rate no doubt 
forms its chief breeding grounds, where Logan Home saw plenty in the breeding 
season and a family party of old and young were met with on May 25th at Shaiba ; 
at Chunabdah in the same area and near Hindia barrage it was also reported in 
the breeding season, while Magrath notes it at Kut in July. A good deal of 
local migration probably takes place in the autumn. Buxton says that some he 
met with in clay desert, when the sun was low and casting a heavy shadow, were 
most conspicuous. 
The young of the year moult their body-plumage and tails in the autumn, 
as with other Limicoline birds. 
