A'ESTS AXD ECUS OF AVSTKALIAN BIRDS. 725 



Ntft. — A slight coustructiou of dead grass aud leaves, placed in a 

 hollow ou the ground, usually in rank herbage — tussock grass, rushes, 

 &c. — but sometimes in cornfields. 



Eggs. — Clutch, seven to eleven usually (ten to eighteen, Gould) ; 

 roimdish in form, sharply compressed at one end ; textm-e somewhat 

 coarse and strong ; s\u-f;ice glossy ; colour, sometimes (especially in the 

 Tropics) of a uniform dull-white, occasionally showing a perceptible 

 bluish tone, but more frequently more or less finely freckled with olive 

 or light-brown. The markings, when fresh, may be removed by 

 moisture. Dimensions in inches of a clutch of typically mai-ked eggs 

 from New South Wales: (1) 1-24 x -93, (2) 1-2 x -89, (3) M9 x -9, 

 (4) 1-18 X -9, (5) 1-18 X -89, (6) M8x-89, (7) 1-17 x -9, (8) 1-16 x -92, 

 (9) 1'14 X -89 (Plate 17); of a somewhat stout set from West Austraha 

 (variety S. sordidus, Gould) ; (1) 1-18 x -96, (2) 1-17 x -97, (3) M6 x -95, 

 (4) 1'14 X '95 ; of a set from North Queensland (variety iS'. cervinu.';, 

 Gould), duU or yellowish-wliite, without markings: (1) 1-17 x -92, 

 (2) 1-14 X -88, (3) 1-12 X -9, (4) 1-12 x -89, (5) M2 x -88. 



Observatiun.<s. — The Brown Quail, except for its thick bill, at first 

 glance resembles the Painted Quail — genei-al tone of plumage brownish, 

 the feathers of the upper smface being irregularly but beautifully 

 marked wth transverse bars of grey, black, and chestnut ; each feather 

 is also adorned with a light stripe down the centre. The imder siu-face 

 is greyish-bull, each feather being ornamented with zig-zag markings 

 of black ; bill, bluish horn ; eyes, orange ; feet, dull-yellow. Total 

 lengtli, 6A inches ; wing, 3i iuches ; bill, | inch ; tarsus, | inch. A 

 brace will weigh about 8 oimces. This bud has a whistle-like call-note. 



Brown Quails appear to assume a variety of markings which sorely 

 puzzle the student. Even the great Gould was himself in doubt of 

 his own varieties, because he records : " The Swamp Quails of Aus- 

 tralia must either be regarded as constituting but one or several 

 species — a point wliich must be left for future investigation, and which 

 can only be detemiined bv persons resident in the colony, or by a care- 

 ful examination and comparison of a much larger number of examples 

 than are at present to be found in this coimtry.' 



In these later days, no doubt from the general series at his 

 command, Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, when compiling the xxii. volume 

 of the British Museum " Catalogue,' had some groimds for amalga- 

 mating Gould's four species of Brown, or Swamp Quails, under the 

 common name Synoscus australi^. However, if ornithological geo- 

 gi-aphy coimts for anytliing, Gould's northern variety, S. cervinus, may 

 be distinguished by its more deUcate and sandy -buff coloming, the 

 eggs being invariably of a uniform dull or cream-white, without 

 markings, wliile the western variety, S. sordidus, is altogether a more 

 sombre-coloiu'ed bii-d. and has reddixh legs instead of yclhiwish, as in 

 the other varieties. I think the fact of S. sordidus possessing different 

 coloiu-ed legs is at least some evidence in favour of keeping that bii-d 

 separate. 



The Brown, or Swamp Quail, as the latter name well suggests, is 



