665 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



PROPOSED ALTERATION TO THE FOREST RULES IX REFERENCE 



TO THE CLOSE TIME FOR QUAIL AND BUSTARD IN THE 



BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 



(Copy.) 



6, Apollo Street, 

 Bombay, 23rd March 1908. 

 From 



The Honorary Secretary, 



Bombay Natural History Society, 



Bombay ; 



To 



Tin: Secretary to Government, 



Revenue Department, 



Bombay. 

 Sir,- — The Committee of this Society observe that the Bombay Government 

 propos/e to amend the present Forest Rules by extending the close season 

 from the present date (September 30th to November 15th), such extension to 

 apply to the following birds : — 



The Black-breasted or Rain Quail (Coturnix coromandelica). 



The Rock Bush-Quail (Perdicula argunda). 



The Jungle Bush-Quail (Perdicula asiatica). 



The Painted Bush-Quail (Microperdix erythrorhynchus). 



The Bustard-Quail (Turnix pugnax). 



The LittJe Button-Quail (Tumix dussumieri). 



The Indian Button-Quail (Tumix tanki). 



Common or Grey Quail (Coturnix communis). 



The Great Indian Bustard (Eupodotis edicardsi). 

 My Committee welcome the proposed alteration of the dates, but they think 

 that some mistake must have been made in including in this period the Com- 

 mon or Grey Quail (Coturnix communis) and the Black-breasted or Rain Quail 

 (Coturnix coromandelica). 



To bring these two birds under the same regulations as the other Quail is to 

 afford adequate protection to neither during their true breeding seasons and to 

 protect both at a time when they least require it. 



The Common or Grey Quail, a migratory bird, breeds in suitable climates 

 all over the Northern hemisphere at the same time of the year, that is to say 

 from March to June, according to temperature and localities. It is true 

 incubated eggs have been found at Allahabad as early as the 25th March, 

 and it has also been found breeding in Purneah and Lahore in April, and Gilgit 

 in May. Of the enormous numbers of Grey Quail that visit India each cold 



