978 
CUESOEIUS COEOM AN DELICU S. 
1 orehead and crown rich deep rufous ; the occiput jet-black, running to a point, and partly concealed by the overlying 
rufous feathers ; a broad, velvety, white supereilium running back round the black occiput, and likewise ending 
in a point; a broad black band from the nostril through the eye bounding the white stripe all round ; chin, face, 
and gorge white, passing into the pale fulvous rufous of the ear-coverts, neck, throat, and chest, the latter 
darkening on the centre of the breast into deep rufous ; lower part of hind neck, back, rump, wing-coverts, 
tertials, most of the tail, sides of breast, flanks, and secondary under wing-coverts quaker-brown ; primaries and 
their coverts above and beneath, a subterminal band on the tail, and the centre of the belly black ; abdomen, under 
tail-coverts, sides of the rump, tips of upper tail-coverts, lateral tail-feathers, and tips of the remainder, decreasing 
towards the centre, white. 
The black markings of the tail vary (probably the result of immaturity) in birds otherwise plumaged alike, some 
examples having the black bar present on the central feathers and the inner web of the laterals. 
Females have the rufous of the head and black of the abdomen paler than males. I am unable to state whether this 
character is constant ; but it is observable in two specimens I have examined from Ceylon. 
Young. An immature bird from the Punjab measures 5'7 inches in the wing, and has the forehead paler, inclining 
to fulvous ; the chest is likewise of a paler hue than in adults ; the feathers extending from the shoulder along 
the bend of the wing to the point are dai-k brown, edged with rufeseent buff ; and some of the median coverts 
overlying the tertials have whitish marginal patches as well as tips ; the subterminal patches of the tail-feathers 
are brown instead of black, and the under wing is blackish brown instead of black. 
Obs. Indian specimens in the national collection correspond in the tints of their plumage with Ceylonese. A small 
series measure as follows : — wing 5'9 to 6‘0 inches, tarsus 2-1 to 2-2. 
Captain Beavan’s measurements of four examples shot at Umballab and Morar are as follows : Length 8'7 to 9-3 
inches ; wing frd to 6-1 ; tail 2-25 to 2-37; tarsus 1-93 to 2-25 ; hill from gape 1-18 to 1-25. 
The European representative of this handsome Courser is 0. gcdlicm ; it inhabits the southern parts of that continent, 
Northern Africa, and extends through Western Asia to Sindh and Eajpootana. It is called the Cream-coloured 
Courser, and is larger in the bill and stouter in the leg than our bird. The upper surface is a warm creamy fawn- 
colour, reddest on the tail, forehead, and crown ; the nape is ashy, with an underlying black patch, under which a 
white stripe passes from above the eye, bounded beneath by a black band, which, however, does not pass through 
the eye; wings black, secondaries tipped with white ; beneath delicate greyish fawn-colour, paling to white on the 
lower parts ; under wing black. Wing of a Sambhur-Lake specimen before me 6-1 inches ; tail 2-7 ; tarsus 2-0 ; 
hill to gape 1'4. 
It is interesting to note that the South-Afriean species, C. burchelli, Swains., is, in a manner, a representative of our 
bird, possessing the same type of coloration. The upper surface is rufous sandy brown, the front part of the 
head and the sides of the hind neck chestnut ; hut the occiput is ashy grey; the black nape and underlying white 
and black stripes are much as in our species ; the breast is pallid rusty brown, set off agaiust the white abdomen 
by a black border. It is a smaller bird than the Indian. A Natal specimen measures 5-2 inches in the wino 4 . 
The remarkable Double-handed Plover, Rhinoptilus bitorquatus, Jerd., belongs to this family, but ' has a stouter and 
straighter bill, and appears to be restricted to a very limited area near the Eastern Ghats. 
Distribution . — This interesting bird has a very limited range in Ceylon, being confined to the Jaffna 
peninsula and the north-west coast (including the island of Manaar) as far south as Pomp-Aripu. Beyond 
this place I do not think it extends, as the large tract of jungle between there and Puttalam seems to present 
a harrier to its further wanderings towards the south. 
Layard speaks of finding it on the Wally plains in the month of April; and Mr. Holds worth saw it in 
almost every month in the year about Aripu, though it was more numerous in the winter season than at other 
times. I did not meet with it on the J affna plains, hut found it on open land along the west coast to the 
north of Mantotte, and also met with it in the island of Manaar ; it was, however, more numerous about 
Aripu than anywhere else. Mr. Simpson, who resides in Manaar, has seen it on the coast-plains along the 
sea-board from there up to Pooneryn ; but he tells me that it is never met with inland. I do not think that 
there is any migration from India to Ceylon during the cool season, but that the birds merely assemble 
together in favourable localities from the surrounding districts. 
In India it would appear to inhabit the northern parts of the peninsula more than the southern ; but it 
