1 9 3 



Turnix pyrrhothorax. 



KED-CHES'I'EU 'I'UKXIX. 



/f'tnlpdi/iiis pi/rrhothora.c, Oould. Proc. Zool. Soc, ISiO, p, \^>0 ; i,!., Bcls. Aiisti-., fol. Vol. V pi. 

 si; (1848) 



Titriii.r pijrrhiilliora.r, Gould, Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. [[., p. |S(;(18(i5); r)^'ilvip-(_4raiit, O.it. IJds. 

 Brit, .Mus., Vol. XXir., p. r)5;5 (IS9:!) ; Sliarpp, Hand-1. Hds , Vol. [., p. 4'.) (1899). 



Adult malk. — Gnuin-a/ colour ahoiv /i/ack, mosl of Ihe fea/lipra of llir- bark itml rniup, and some 

 "/the .•icapnlars, with broad fidvoua-ivliili; margins at the sides, the ban'.s of the feallo'rs didl smokij- 

 i/rey, and tlie apical portion crossed icitli aarroio ivn.rij I ransvers'' bars or vi'miicnbijinns of pal i' rufoui- 

 brown; tail-J/'alhers like tlie back ; i/aiUs i/rei/islibroinn, the innermost S'^comlarirs like tlif, back, the 

 oiUcr primaries narroiohj edged tuitli pale ba,ff'ij'irh,ite on tlie onter ov.bs .■ llic lesser upper wiuij-corerts 

 dnskij-brouui uuth pale brown margins, the median series pale reddish-bntf in. the centre ujilli a line 

 of black dou-n each side of the feather and meeting fouxirds the point, and having broad pale fulvous- 

 w/iite margins ; the inner greater covei-ts like tJie back, lint liaring broader falrrias-u-hite margins; 

 forehead, feathers above the eye and on the sides of the lieail black, t.lwse on the forehead havim/ narront 

 ivhite cross-bars, and the remainder wliite centres or tips ; the upper sides of neck someivhat similar : 

 ear-coverts I/lack iril/i n-hite shaft lines; remainder of th:' feathers on the head brown. Some of them 

 spotted u-ith black, those down the middle of the head, o.ml on the nape spotted u-ith a-hite: hind- 

 ■neck rufous-brown transversely barred ivith black, with a snhmarginal line of black on either side of 

 tlie feather and narrow falvoiis-ivhite uiirgim ; chin., tliroat and lou-er flanks bright orange-rnfous, 

 being pater on the lower breast and alidomen, the centre of these parts being almost pare wliite : '"bill 

 horn colour ; iris straw-i/ellouj ; feet i/elloiviih-u^hite" (Gould). 7\it.al length 'ido inches, wing o, 

 tail l-o5, bill Q-.if, tarsus OS. 



Anur/l' FRM.ALE. — Similnr in plumage to tJie adult male, but larger. Wing -'r.) inches. 



Distvibution. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South Australia, (Queensland, 

 New South Wales, Victoria, South .\ustralia. 



/T^IIE Red-chested Turnix was originally described by Gould in the " Proceedings of the 

 _l_ Zoological Society of London," in 1840, from specimens obtained in the interior of New 

 South Wales. It is one of the very few species inhabiting this State I have not seen in the 

 flesh, although I have diligently searched for it both in the field and among the strings of game 

 birds frequently e.xposed for sale in the poulterer's shops of Sydney and elsewhere during the 

 open season. It has a wide range, being found in North-western Australia, the Northern 

 Territory of South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, \'ictoria and South Australia. 

 From the latter State I received the skin, on loan, of an adult female from Dr. E. C. Stirling, 

 C.M.G., Director of the South Australian Museum, Adelaide. The late Dr. W. A. Angove, 

 who procured the specimen at Tea-tree Gully, ab(jut twelve miles from Adelaide, on the 18th 

 December, 1904, was passing through Sydney, wlien I had just received it from Dr. Stirling, 

 and he informed me it was the only one he had ever seen, but he had reason to believe a set 

 of eggs in his collection was referrable to this species. 



The Red-chested Turnix is entirely distinct from its nearest ally, Turnix ivlo.v, and may he 

 recognised chiefly by its darker upper parts, spotted head, particularly at the sides, and its 

 orange-rufous under parts. Gould writes as follows in his " Handbook- to the Birds of Aus- 

 tralia" : — "But little is known respecting tlie Swift-llying Turnix, and even less information 

 has been obtained respecting the history of the present species, which, although assimilating to 



* Gould, Handbk. Bds. .\ustr., Vol. II., p. is6 7 (1S65). 

 49 



