l'J4 TUHSICID.E. 



the former in some of its characters, dilfers from it in tile niarkiu'^s of the face and neck, and in 

 the rufous colouring of the fore part of the throat and chest ; it is also somewhat more slender 

 and elegant in its proportions. It first came under my notice while traversing the Hats near 

 Aberdeen, on the Upper flunter, where I obtained a single example of the female; since then, 

 however, IMr. Coxen has kindly sent me examples of the opposite sex, and 1 have seen others in 

 collections from the east coast." 



I have nothing to add to my previous description relative to the nests and eggs of this 

 species. A nest found by FJr. li. P. lianisay during iSfi^ at Planar, near Jiungendore, New 

 South Wales, was merely a shallow grass-lined depression in the earth, sheltered by a wind-bent 

 tuft of grass. The eggs, four in number for a sitting, are in form swollen ovals, the shell being 

 close-grained, dull and lustreless. They are of a dull white ground colour, which is almost 

 obscured by indistinct markings of chestnut and slaty-brown ; in some specimens these are 

 larger and more pronounced, even in the same set. Two eggs of the above mentioned set 

 measure: — Length (A) i x 079 inches; (B) 0-98 x 076 inches. 



Turnix velox. 



SWIFT-KLYING 'ITIJNIX 01,' " BU'ITEKFLV gUAlL." 

 J/einipodint: vrh,.,; Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 184(1, p. 150 ; vL, Bds. Au.str., fol. Vol. V., pi. 87 (1848.) 

 7'urni.v velo.i; Gould, Handlik. Bds. Austr., Vol. II., p, 184 (l8(jo); Grant, Gat. lids. Brit. Mu-s , 



Vol. XXII., p. ."1.^3 (18'.)3) ; Sharpe, Hand-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 4'J (1899). 

 Turnix lencd^/iisl'^r, North, Ihis, 189"), p. 342. 



AlHiLT M-\I>K. — (ii'ueritl ciilonr ahoc/> dieslniit-reiJ, the f'alhers of Ihr hack, rump an<i ii.pper Inil- 

 covitrls, tail and i-i'a/i)iJar<: lutriitiy wJiitish maryina (il iht> sidi'i : the ci'iilrex trannrfrsely barred ?ri//i 

 black : lIiK /rind-ni'ck aiuj nap/' paler and dvsdlali' of /lie black bars uii /he centres of llie feathers : top 

 0/ head chestnut-red, all (lie feathers having uarrou' dutl. iv/ii/ish' edge^ at the sides aiid conspicuous 

 black bars : don- n the middle of the head aline of u'hite : primaries greyisli-bron-n extemaUi/ edged 

 with bHjfi/-u:/iil'; the prirnary-corerts and secondaries darker, the latter margined ivith biiffy-wliite 

 arotmd their lips, tlte innermost feathers like tin- scapulars ; inner upper wing-coverts light chestnnt- 

 buff, externally edged or margini'd with u}hite, and n:ith a iiarrmv oblii/ii,- submarginal black bar ; 

 lesser wing-corerts buffy-brown u-ith a submarginal blackish sjiot : sides of head and the foreneck 

 reddish-bnji' or dull r-ufous, darker on the sides (f the body, irhere some oj the f-alhers liave an oblique 

 black bar on botli rrebs near thr lip ,■ chin, throat, breast ami under tail-cocrls dull u-hite. Total 

 length in iJie Jlrsli .•>■.; inches, u-ing ^-S.'t, tail l-.Z'i, bill O'Jj.'i, tarsus D-li.i. 



Adult KHMALK. — Sinrilar in plumage to the inide. Wing -J'-l inches. 



Distribution. — yioith-wesiern Australia, Northern Territory of South ,\ustralia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Central iVuitralia, Western .Australia. 



^^lIli Swift-tlying Turnix, or " l.Jutterlly Quail," and "Thick-billed Quail" of sportsmen, 

 is widely distributed over the inland portions of nearly the whole of the island- 

 continent, and is correspondingly rare near the Eastern Australian coast. It is strictly migratory, 

 its appearance being greatly regulated by the rainfall, during good seasons appearing in great 

 numbers, and during periods of drou<;ht seldom visiting its old haunts. 



In New South Wales I first met with it near the Gwydir River in November, 1897, flushing 

 it frequently almost at our feet in breast high herbage, flying for some distance and then 

 suddenly dropping into concealment again. The corresponding month of the previous year was 

 conspicuous, owing to its total absence, as it was a dry season, the plains were bare, and the 

 earth cracked in places, and not a vestige of herbage or grass to be seen anywhere. It is 

 exceedingly rare near the coast, and during over a quarter of a century's connection with the 



