195 



NOTE UPON THE NIDIFICATION OF TURN IX 



MELANOTUS, Gould. 



Small Black-spotted Turnix. 

 By a. J. North, F.L.S. 



Of the three small species of Turnix found in Australia, two of 

 tliem, T. velox and T. jyyrrhothorax, give decided preference to 

 the open grassy plains of the inland districts, while Turnix 

 mplanot7t,s is essentially an inhabitant of the low marshy ground 

 and damp scrubs contiguous to the eastern coast of Australia. 

 Near Sydney the latter species is not uncommon in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Randwick, Botany, and La Perouse, localities also 

 frequented by the Least 8\vamp Quail, Excalfatoria australis, and 

 both species, shot at Botany on the same day, have been recently 

 presented to the Museum. 



The nidification of Turnix inelanotus, similar to that of other 

 members of the genus, is a scantily grass-lined hollow in the ground, 

 sheltered by a convenient tuft of grass or low bush. The eggs 

 are four in number for a sitting ; specimens obtained on Mr. 

 Boyd's plantation on the Herbert River, Queensland, on the 

 13th of December, 1890, are oval in form, tapering somewhat 

 sharply to the smaller end, the ground colour is of a greyish-white, 

 and is almost obscured with minute freckles of pale umber-brown, 

 while sparingly distributed over the surface of the shell are 

 conspicuous spots and blotches of dark slaty-grey, which in some 

 places approach an inky-black hue. Length (A) 0'97 x 0'73 inch, 

 (B) 0'98 X 0'73 inch. These eggs can easily be distinguished from 

 those of T. velox, by being much darker and the surface of the 

 shell bright and glossy. During the same month, eggs of 

 Excalfatoria australis were procured in the same locality. The 

 latter species, Mr. J. A. Boyd informs me, is very common on 

 the Herbert River. 



