234 THE USEFUL BIRDS OF SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA. 



PAINTED QUAIL, 



Tiiriiix varisi, latb. 



Tur'iiiks vd'ri-a. 

 Turnix, said to be clipped from coturnix, a quail ; varia, spotted. 

 Hemipodius varius, Gould, " Birds of Australia," fol., vol. v., pi. 82. 

 Geographical Distribution. — Areas 2, 3, 4, 5, (5, i). 



Key to the Species. — Adult male has chest buff, irregularly spotted 

 and marked with grey ; no rufous nuchal collar, but otherwise the 

 upper surface similar to that of adult female. 



Adult female has chest grey, each feather with a pale buff or 

 whitish shaft streak, becoming more or less spatulate towards the 

 margin; feathers surrounding eye black, spotted with white; has 

 a fairly defined bright rufous nuchal colour, each feather narrowly 

 barred with rufous. Bill stouter than in male. 



All the Turnices are Hemipocles, i.e., lialf-footed, having no 

 hind toe, but all the Hemipodii are not Turnices, owing to the 

 one exception — the Plain Wanderer — having its foot whole- 

 toed. 



The Painted Quail is a member of the group termed Button 

 Quails, the many species of which are found in large numbers 

 on the eastern side of our continent. The western portion, on 

 the other hand, has one species only — viz., the Painted 

 Quail. 



A noticeable feature of the many differences existing 

 between Button Quails and true Quails lies in the fact that 

 the former will lay four eggs as a rule for a sitting, and the 

 latter seven to ten. In habits, however, they are similar. 



The Painted Quail frequents stony country, slightly wooded 

 and grassed, or heavily timbered lands at discretion. 



The Plain Wanderer has a buff collar on the neck, a hind 

 toe, and lays three to four eggs, so that it is neither a Turnix 

 nor a true Quail. The breeding season commences early in 



