272 INDIAN SPORTING BIRDS 



all kinds of artificial food, which the young of the true game 

 birds nevertheless eat readily. The note of the hen is " a soft 

 booming sound, which is more or less ventriloquial " ; the male 

 seldom calls, if at all, and all the bird utters when flushed in the 

 wild state is a faint low double chirp. Tickell says this bird 

 is most delicious eating, but Hume condemns it ; probably both 

 are right, the difference depending on food. 



Burmese Yellow-legged Button-Quail. 



Turnix h la nfo rdi . '■' 



In Burma yellow-legged button-quails occur as in India, and 

 the sportsman who pays attention to these little birds may 

 notice that they are larger than the Indian birds of this type, 

 if he has had opportunities for comparison. Young birds of both 

 kinds have the same plumage, which is variable in details in 

 both, but this eastern form does not lose the dark markings on 

 the upper-parts with age to the same extent as the Indian 

 specmiens, which incline decidedly to a uniform drab above. 



Although classed as a species, the distinction is very trifling, 

 and of no interest to anyone except those naturalists who like 

 niggling over local races ; there seems to be nothing special on 

 record about the habits of the variety, which are not likely to 

 differ in any important particular from those of the Indian 

 bird. 



The race, such as it is, extends into Assam and Chittagong, 

 while in the other direction it is found in China and even in 

 Eastern Siberia. 



Nicobar Yellow-legged Button-Quail. 



Turnix alhiventris. 



In the grassy parts of the Nicobars and Andamans is found 

 another button-quail of the yellow-legged type, coming still 

 nearer to the Indian typical form, and only distinguishable 

 by its generally darker colour and more abundant markings 



* maculosa on plate. 



