THE INDIAN EUSH-QUAILS. 1 53 



THE INDIAN BUSH-QUAILS. GENUS PERDICULA. 



Perdicula^ Hodgs. Beng. Sport. Mag. ix. p. 344 (1837). 

 Type, P. asiatica (Lath.). 



Tail composed of twelve feathers, rather feeble, but much 

 stiffer than the upper tail-coverts ; less than half the length of 

 the wing. First flight-feather intermediate in length between 

 the seventh and ninth; fourth slightly the longest. Tarsus 

 armed in the male with a blunt wart-like spur. Plumage of 

 sexes different. 



Only two very small species are known. 



I. THE JUNGLE EUSH-QUAIL. PERDICULA ASIATICA. 



Perdix asiatica^ Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 649 (1790). 



Perdix cambayensis, Temm. PI. Col. v. pi. 41 [No. 447] (1828). 



Coturnix pe7itah^ Sykes ; J. E. Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. 45, 



fig- 3 (1834). 

 Pei'diada rubicola, Hodgs. Beng. Sport. Mag. ix. p. 344(1837). 

 Perdiaila asiatica, Gould, B. As. vii. pi. 4 (1863) ; Hume and 



Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 109, pi. (1879); 



Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 440 



(1890) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 198 



(1893). 

 Pcrdiaila argoondah, Gould {iiec Sykes), B. As. vii. pi. 5 (1863). 



Adult Male. — General colour above brown, with pale buff 

 shaft-stripes on the back, and black bars and blotches on the 

 scapulars and wing-coverts ; forehead, eyebrow-stripes, and 

 throat rufous-chestnut, with whitish edges ; under-parts white, 

 with regular black cross-bars ; ifuier webs of primary flight- 

 feathers not barred with rufous-buff. Total length, 6*4 inches; 

 wing, 2>'Z ; tail, i'5 ; tarsus, 0-95. 



Adult Female. — Has the throat rufous-chestnut like the male, 

 but differs in having no buff shaft-streaks on the upper-parts, 

 and the under-parts uniform vinaceous-buff. 



Range. —India and Ceylon. 



