174 



IMIASIANIIJ.'E . 



From Jjioonie Hill, South-western Australia, INIr. Tom Carter wrote me: — "Only one 

 example of the Stubble (Uiail (•G'/«r;;;.v/'(vAin;/;.s; was noted at I'oint Cloates. It was shot by 

 nie on the gth November, igoi, while running about near the stoclcyard, where some of the blacks 

 called my attention to it as being a strange bird to them. This bird was sent to you afterwards 

 for identification. It appears to be not uncommon about Broome Hill, as my neighbours 

 generally found some eggs or young birds when cutting their crops. On ist December, 1907, 

 twelve eggs were seen in a nest, the young just hatching out. Another clutch was noted in the 

 same field on Sth December, 1907, and on 12th December some half grown young birds seen. 

 On 1 7th i\o\eml)er, 1908, six recently hatched young birds, still in down, were seen, and on 



20th November, 1910, some half 

 grown young ones." 



The nests and eggs of the 

 Stubble Ouail were the first of 

 any species ever seen by me. 

 When a child I was taken by 

 some school boys to the Govern- 

 ment Domain, IMelbourne, and 

 what are now the grounds sur- 

 rounding the residence of the 

 Governor-General was then 

 gently sloping hills covered by 

 tussock's of grass. In under the 

 shelter of a great number of these 

 clumps were the grass-lined nests 

 of this species, containing their 

 complement of five to nine brown 

 blotched eggs on a yellow or 

 straw-white ground. My com- 

 panions, however, were not intent 

 on bird's eggs, but wished to 

 secure the young. Needless to 

 state their wish was never real- 

 ised, for the young birds left the 

 nest almost as soon as they were 

 hatched, consequently when they 

 visited the nests a week later 

 many of them were empty. The 

 nest is only a slight hollow 

 in the ground lined with bits 

 of dried grasses. It is usually 

 built under a grass tussock, in standing crops, or cultivation paddocks. 



The family Phasianida' is noted for the variable number of eggs laid by the different members 

 for a sitting. One species may lay more one year than another, according to the food supply, or 

 in dillerent districts, but the maximum number gi\'en by Gould for Cotuniix and SyiKniis is 

 undoubtedly the result of two birds laying in the one nest. It is dilficult, too, to judge of the 

 number of young to a single brood, for they are able to run and secrete themselves soon after 

 they are hatched. In New South Wales seven is the normal full number laid by the Stubble 

 Ouail for a sitting. 



Typically the eggs are swollen ovals in form, and more blunted at the smaller end than are 

 the eggs of the genus Syiurciis, the shell being thick, comparatively close-grained and more or less 



.STUlUiLH i;UAIl, (Al.lllNO.j 



