ON A NE W SPECIES OF MICROPERDIX. 3 



of the jimgle gives one a better chance, as it leaves the buds fewer spots to 

 put up in when tiushed and also fewer wounded birds get lost. Without doing 

 this it ia very difficult indeed to retrieve wounded birds as they run a lot and 

 have a knack of getting over the ground at a good pace. A good dog or two 

 would of course be of great service both for retrieving and putting up the birds. 

 Burning the grass in front of one as one goes along is no use as the birds only 

 run before or else through the fire and will not take to flight. They are usually 

 seen in covies of four to six, but during March and April they get into larger 

 ones containing from six to twelve birds or perhaps even more. On the 28th 

 March, Mr, Primrose wrote that they were exceedingl >/ jjlc7itiful nnd that he 

 picked up four during one evening's stroll. He had hopes of obtaining the 

 eggs but up to date these are still dekiderata. The covies separate on being 

 disturbed, some flying on ahead and others back over the beaters. They 

 are not difficult to flush a second and even a third time with a sufficient 

 quantity of good beaters. At first thej' rise straight up in the air and they 

 go off with a straight steady flight for about fifty yards and then drop 

 suddenly. This habit they have of dropping suddenly, often makes one 

 believe that one has missed one's bii-d instead of which it is probably stone 

 dead where it fell and also vice versa On touching the ground Ihey either start 

 running at once or else if the beaters are close up they will squat. It is most 

 difficult to spot them either running over or squatting upon the burnt grass for 

 their colour- matches that; of the ash most perfectly. When they squat they 

 sit very closely being sometimes picked up alive by the beaters. Their note 

 is like that of The Painted Bush-Quail {Micropcrdix ery tlirorh y 71 chus) and is 

 often uttered when the covey separates. As far as we could observe males 

 outnumbered females. Their food consists principally of seed. They very 

 occasionally are flushed from the edge of the tea. We, on several occasions, 

 came across covies feeding in the open on the burnt ground up to about mid- 

 day and probably during dull weather they feed there all day. With fair luck 

 and straight powder, two men, one taking each side of the nullah, ought to be 

 able to account for every bird in it. Our biggest bag for a morning was eight 

 birds, but that I am certain could easily be beaten in a place like Mornai. They 

 are known by the name of ' Kala goondri ' at Mornai Tea estate where all our 

 specimens were obtained. Adults showed signs of breeding in the beginning 

 of March and we were fortunate enough in obtaining a fully fledged yomig one 

 on the 11th of January. This is shown on the plate accompanying these notes. 

 This is, I beheve, the first time the young biid has been obtained. 



The colours of the soft parts are as follows : — 



Adult — Bill, dark grey, base of mandible lighter and in some specimens this 

 is tinged with yellow. Tarsus orange red, toes and back of tarsus Lighter, claws 

 light brown. Iris brown. 



Nestlings. — Bill, upper mandible except base and lower mandible except tip 

 dark greyish, remainder of lowe. mandible and base of upper mandible albes- 

 cent. Tarsus fleshy, back of tarsus and toes yellower. Iris brown. 



