TUHNIX. 187 



The eggs of the IJlack-spotted Turnix can easily he distinguished from those of Tiiniix 

 velox by the briglit and glossy surface of the shell and their darker markings. 



There is a great amount of variation in adult hiids of both sexes, some adult males having 

 the back and scapulars distinctly spotted with rufous. Immature males have the throat, centre 

 of breast and abdomen dull grey or greyish-white, and the breast with very pale orano-e- 

 rufous and black markings on the sides, in the form of bars. Wing 2'6 inches. 



P'rom the Northern Territory of South Australia, I exaTiiined a set of eggs taken at the 

 latter end of P'ebruary, 1902. In Queensland Mr. J. .\. Boyd obtained eggs on the 13th 

 December and the 3rd February, and Air. il. G. Barnaul on the i6th March. In New South 

 Wales they ha\e been obtained from ( )ctober until the end of [anuary. 



Turnix melanogaster. 



BLACK-BRKASTED TURXIX OR " BLACK-FRONTED ^tUAlL." 



Jl'inipixhus mdanugaster, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1837, p. 7 ; id., Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. V^, pi. 81 

 (1848). 



Turnix melanogaster, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. II., p. 178 (1S6.5) ; Grant, Cat. Ikls. Brit. 

 Mils., Vol. XXIL, p r,-)0 (18'.);3); Sharpe, Ilandd. lUls,, Vol T., p. 49 (181)9). 



AlJUI.T M.\LE. — General colour ahore bro/VJi, ihr (i/nad jiorlion of the feallier^ of the back, rnntjj 

 ami tipper tail-coverts rufous, trantii-erseli/ barred or spotted and tipped ivith hlaek, those of the upper 

 back ?i'ithont the transverse barrings, but brui/dlg oiargiwd an one or both in-bs at the sides with irhite, 

 these wliite margins being narron-er on tlo- /■ alliers on the centre of the back, and broader again loioer 

 donni and assuming on some of the feathers a spotdike form; scapulars like the back ; quills dark brown, 

 the three outermost piriomries on either side narron-hj eihjrd e.eternallg n-ith bn/fg-irhite, except at the tips; 

 upper iving-corerts chestnut, the central lessor and median series broadly margined on their outer a-ebs 

 with ichite edged icith black, and having the remains of narrow indistinct transverse barrings on the 

 remaindir if llie featliers, tlie greater series similar but more largely nofehed n-ith black, n-hite,and 

 pale rufous-bu[f at the tip, the innermost secondaries having eyedike spots and notches of bitjf and 

 fvhite on their outer aebs ; tail -featliers brown with broken narrow blackish transverse barrings; 

 feathers on the forehead bn.fij-irhite largrhj tipped n-itli black: middle of crown (f head and nape 

 b>oW/i, jxissing into rufonsd_>rou:n anil blaekishdjron-n, forming a icell-defined streak on the sides 

 of the head ; cinn, and centre of nppur throat buffy-n-liite ; featliers on the loiver throat, cheeks sides 

 of face, neck and hind-neck ivhite tipped with black ; feathers on the fore-neck black largely tipped 

 with ivhile, those on the breast and sides of tin' body similar, biU having chestnut centres, and becoming 

 grey at the sides, the chestnut increasing on the sides of the breast and body ; remainder of the nadir 

 surface dull grey, the apical half of some oj the feathers tipped with dull ivhite, and having the remains 

 of one or more indistinct brownisli-blnck cross-bars; under tail-coverts dull grey, ivith numerous 

 broken ivavg transverse black barrings. 7'olal length 7-!f inches, iving I^-.'i, tail 1-S, bill ()-6, tarsus 1. 



Adult fkmale. — liesembles the adult male, but has the head, hind-neck, throat, fore-neck and 

 breast black, the feathers on the sides 0/ crouni and some on the sides of the face and the hind-neck 

 having a rmind spot of u-hite at the tip : the feathers of the fore-neck and sides of breast largely 

 tipped with u:hite, the latter also having a ivhite bar across the middle of the lower featliers ; remainder 

 of the under surface dull grey, some of the feathers on the centre of the lower breast and abdomen 

 submarginilly barred ivith black and tipped with ivhite; nnd^r tail-coverls dull grey washed ivith 

 buff, particularly on their apical portion, mid transversely barred nith black. Total length 7'S 

 inches, wing Jp.'f, tail T9, bill (')-G'i, tarsus 1. 



Distribution. — Southern Queensland. 



