156 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Rock Bush-Quail are perfectly similar to those of its ally, and, 

 like it, the birds generally feed in company, even in the breed- 

 ing-season, when "newly-hatched birds may frequently be seen 

 running amongst half-a-dozen old ones " {Attke?i). 



Nest. — Placed under a tussock of grass, and neatly made of 

 dry grass placed in a shallow, saucer-shaped, depression in the 

 ground. 



Eggs. — Five to seven in number, generally rather pointed 

 towards the small end ; uniform glossy white, slightly tinged 

 with brownish- buff. Average measurements, i"02 by 0-84 

 inch. 



THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAILS. GENUS MICROPERDIX. 



Microperdix^ Gould, B. As. vii. pi. iii. (1862). 



Type, M. erythrorJiyncha (Sykes). 



Very similar in size and general appearance to the last 

 genus, but the tail is composed of only ten feathers, and the 

 first primary flight-feather is about equal to the tenth, the sixth 

 being slightly the longest. The tarsi in the males are ivithout 

 any trace of a spur. 



Only three very small species are known. 



I. THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAIL. MICROPERDIX 

 ERYTHRORHYNCHA. 



Cotur/iix erythrorJiyncha^ Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 153; J. E. 



Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. 44, fig. 2 (1834) ; Sykes, Trans. 



Zool. Soc. ii. p. 16, pi. I (1841). 

 Perdiada erythrorhyncha, A\ictox\im,pass'fn. 

 Microperdix erythrorhyncha, Gould, B. As. vii. pi. 3 (1862); 



Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 123, pi. 



(1879); Gates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 



442 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 203 



(1893)- 

 Adult Male. — General colour above earthy-brown,with rounded 



