the . Sirs» district of the Punjab, states that his are Äther
smaller and darker in appearance ? the bulk of them were
obtained in July; but- the ; laying season yaries, according to
the rains, from March to August.* Most of the eggs- of-the
Cröam-coloured| Courser in European collection s..are the produce
of a bird brought to Fayier in: August, 1§51, and then
in . immature- plumage. . In 11853, after exhibiting mueh
sexual, passion, and making a noise resembling ^ regerer,’
the bird laid eight eggs—the first, on the 15th} fihe.second
on the 16 th, the third on the 30th May; the foürth on .the
1st, the fifth on the 11th, the sixth on the 14th, the. seventh
on the 23rd, and the eighth on the 25th'of June. In #854
she laid again, with the same irregularity, twelve eggs^the
first, on the 17th .of May, the last on the 28th. diUJuly.
Though in perfect health, treated and fed.in the same way,
she.did not lay in 1855, but in 1856 laid two eggs on the 6th
and 7th of July. * In-1857 she again, at irregular intervals,
laid ten-more eggs—the first, in-May, the last in July.^sr In
1.858 none, we.re laid. . In 1859 she produced- four more* eggs
-—rthe.-first two on theJHh and 7th of July,-the .others om-the
9th,.and 10th of August,
As ^regards the habits ef this species, Favier - say^-ß:
“ Their food is entirely insecta^br, larvae, -particularly Pmtd~
tomß torquata, and. different spits, of grasshoppers. They
are., met with in small jot's,; usuallyI frequenting dryiarid
plains,- where--, they- spread .put > in all .directions, rustoEig
about after insects, and are very,wary and. difficult ^e^geh a
sho.trat..' Their cry.uai alarm Ä-.much like* that of.the
Elover, They -rest and sleep in a- sitting passion, with their
legs doubled up,; under the>m*/& Should ifchey not iffy .away
when.approached, they run off. with;-astonishing .swiftness,
manoeuvringi|| gebaut of .sight Jbebind stones^ornelods. f)j
earth ; - then,- kneeling-down land atretching ?thfe_ body- and
head .flat Qn-the ground, they endeavour to make themselves
invisible, though all the -time: their, joyes^are fixed fop *Jtke
object .which disturbs..'them, -and. they keep ton the alert-
ready, to rush off again if [ onq&.continues to approach the*mv’r
* ‘Ne^tsumd Eggs of Indian.Birds,1 pp.C§&5^67.‘
The beak is nearly black at the point, brown at the base ;
the irides hazel; the top of the head buff-colour, the hinder
part1, grey tipped with black; above the eye, and passing
from thence over the. ear-coverts, to the nape of the neck, is
a white streak; below this, from the .eye, a black streak,
both meeting behind: the neck, back;' and all the upper
surface of the body and wings, pale,wood-brown, tinged with
reddish-huff; wing-primaries black; the tail-feathers have
an angular black spot near the-end; increasing in size.toward
the feather on each .outride, ip which the spot is the largest.
The cbm white p-the front of the neck, the breast, and
under surface of the body, huffy-white, palest on the vent
and under tail-coverts; Jpgs' and toes cream colour.;the
claws brown. -
The whole length is ten inches and .one-quarter. From
the carpal£>int to the end of the wing, six inches:?the
form'of- the wing pointed, the-first and second quill-feathers
being nearly of'equal length, and the longest in the wing;
length of tarsus two inches. '
- The sexes in. plumage resemble each-other; but* as usual
in such .cases, the young birds of the year differ. These
have the fgathers. eloudej-with two shades of pale brown,
with,4ark, irregular transverse lines of dusky ash-colour, as
shewn in the representation p i e lines round the. hack ofj
the head as yet not very eon splenoma; the dark feathers:- of
the^wing edged on the11 inner*web with huff colour.*^ A t, the
end M' the. s.ecemh year | | § § assume the plumage of the
actulil«